The relationship between community-based elderly care and quality of life among older adults in Wang Tha Di Subdistrict, Phetchabun Province

Abstract

This descriptive research aimed to examine the quality of life among older adults and to investigate the relationship between community-based elderly care and their quality of life in Wang Tha Di Subdistrict, Phetchabun Province. The sample consisted of 330 older adults selected through stratified random sampling. The research instruments included the Thai version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL–BREF–THAI) interview for older adults and a community-based elderly care interview form developed by the researcher. The community care interview form was validated by six experts, yielding a Content Validity Index (CVI) of 0.86, and its reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.94. The reliability coefficient of the WHOQOL–BREF–THAI interview was 0.77. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship.

The results revealed that: 1) older adults had a moderate overall quality of life, though they reported high satisfaction with their health and overall well-being; 2) the majority perceived a high level of care from the community; and 3) community-based elderly care had a moderate positive correlation with quality of life, which was statistically significant at the .01 level (r = 0.50).

Recommendations: Community organizations should promote and sustain community-based elderly care programs to further enhance the quality of life of older adults.