Holistic Elderly Health Care Using Herbal Medicine and the Fourfold Development (Bhāvanā)
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Abstract
The academic article entitled “Holistic Elderly Health Care Using Herbal Medicine and the Fourfold Development (Bhāvanā)” aims to propose guidelines for the therapeutic use of herbal medicine to enhance the quality of life of older adults in a holistic manner. The article emphasizes proactive health care by integrating traditional Thai wisdom with modern scientific knowledge and incorporating it into everyday life in order to promote health and prevent illness.
Holistic elderly health care through herbal therapy can be categorized into four dimensions as follows:
(1) Physical Health Dimension
This dimension focuses on the selection and consumption of herbal remedies that help nourish the body and relieve common minor ailments, enabling older adults to maintain self-care abilities in their daily lives.
(2) Mental and Emotional Health Dimension
Herbal medicine and natural elements contribute to relaxation, stress reduction, and inner calm, thereby enhancing emotional well-being and promoting a positive and cheerful state of mind.
(3) Safety and Environmental Dimension
Growing herbal plants within the home environment helps create a pleasant, green, and livable atmosphere while providing a safe and accessible source of herbal medicine. This supports a sense of security and stability in the daily lives of older adults.
(4) Spiritual and Life Stability Dimension
Older adults can transmit herbal knowledge to younger generations, fostering a sense of self-worth, reducing social isolation, and creating meaning and purpose in life.
These four dimensions are interconnected and mutually supportive, contributing to comprehensive well-being that is appropriate to the aging process. Together, they enable older adults to live their later years peacefully, happily, and sustainably.
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