The perception pathway of elderly people: Lesson Learned from Elderly School

Abstract

With improved health care and increased affluence people are living longer in Thailand than they did in the past. Increased life expectancy has, in turn, led to changes in the demographics of Thai society with a larger percentage of the population living well into their senior years. Services and support for seniors, however, have not kept pace with the changing demographics, and Thailand now finds itself in a situation where the specific health and emotional needs of an ageing population require strategic planning and preparation. With this in mind, the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences at Suratthani Rajabhat University has been instrumental in initiating courses for seniors in the community, and has used the occasion to canvass participating students on a range of issues germane to their particular needs. Panel discussions were held with eight students after they had completed the program last year and the data obtained was subjected to content analysis in order to discover recurring patterns of shared concern. Students were canvassed on their thoughts and concerns prior to beginning the 16 week program and then once established, participants considered how those concerns were addressed in terms of the program's delivery. At the outset, students were particularly concerned about the deteriorating state of their physical health but noted that the program's health component provided them with the knowledge needed to manage and improve their health and vitality. Emotionally, participants expressed feelings of loneliness and anomie before commencing the program but found that the program itself provided them with a supportive social network that now extends beyond the confines of the university. Likewise, participants said they spent a lot of time dwelling on their ageing and impending mortality before the program began but found the program beneficial for helping them develop a more positive attitude towards ageing. Taken together, such quality of life attitudinal changes show the value of participatory learning programs that support and value the elderly.