Elderly Health Security Management in Nong Prue Municipality, Banglamong District, Chonburi

Abstract

The purpose of this research aims 1) to study the context of health care management of the elderly in Nong Prue Municipality, 2) to study the health care management for elderly, 3) to explore the elderly’s health, 4) to examine relationship between the management and the elderly’s health, and 5) to provide the recommendations to improve the effective health care management to the elderly people. The research design adopted the mixed method: quantitative and qualitative. The questionnaire were used to collect quantitative data from 347 samples drawn from the elderly population. The qualitative approach applied semi-structured interviews guideline with 16 key informants. The quantitative analysis adopted descriptive and inference statistics: mean, standard deviation, percentage, F- Test and Pearson-r. The content analysis technique was applied for the qualitative data. The result of the study revealed; 1) the municipality provides the participatory service management for elderly through activities of elderly club which has currently engaged only a small number of 614 members when compared to the totality of elderly population. The reasons for that was the activities of the club not fit the seniors’ need and some individual factors prevent them from accessibility to the services, for example, the physical health, the transportation, and the expenses, etc. The municipality also provided the non-participatory services for elderly in the area through various routine programs. It finding showed that the participatory service has more actively affected on health than the non-participatory activities; 2) according to the perspectives of the elderly club’s member, the municipality’s health care service management has a very good level. However, the elderly mentioned some obstacles in services’ accessibility; 3) the elderly club’s members were in good health while the non-members had moderately health outcomes. The comparative analysis showed that the club’s members had significantly better health outcomes than those who are not members; 4) the health care service management had high positive correlation with the elderly health; 5) the research recommendation for improving the effective management were; a) increasing participation of service utilizer, especially in the initial planning stage, which can motivate those in needed to engage activities as club’s members, b) continuously monitoring, c) increasing the sufficient staffs, d) maintaining and providing the modern service equipment and, e) facilitating the travelling for the elderly people.