Abstract:

The objective of this study was to create a developmental model of the quality of the elderly life and evaluate the results from this model. The study processes consist of four steps. Firstly, problem analysis, need analysis, and ways to solve the problems about the quality of the elderly life in communities in Lop Buri province were conducted. The researcher studied the problems and the needs of the problem solving of the 99 elderly in Po Taladkaew, Dong Marum, and the Elderly association in ThaWung Hospital. Structured interview was applied to interview the participants. Focus group was used to investigate the opinion of the 45 elderly stakeholders including the chair and members of the elderly association, the heads of communities, the elderly representatives, village volunteers, Lop Buri social development and human security organization, hospitals, sub-district administrative organization, educational institutions, and temples. Secondly, the researcher and 18 stakeholders cooperatively planned to create a developmental model to develop the quality of the elderly life using focus group. The developmental model was used to develop the quality of the elderly life in Po Taladkaew sub-district, Dong Marum, and the Elderly association in ThaWung Hospital. Eight projects were used to enhance the quality of the elderly life. Thirdly, the researcher organized the projects according to the model using results in order to improve the elderly life. Finally, structured interview was used to evaluate the effects of the model using.

The results show that the developmental model used to develop the quality of the elderly life positively helped to improve the quality of the elderly life in six ways, physical health, mentality, economics, social, family, and environment. The study emphasized the real facts of the elderly used as a fundamental development.

The results of the research evaluation reveal that there was integrated working on the six elements used to develop the elderly life among the elderly organizations. According to the developmental model, eight projects based on the six ways were created in order to improve the quality of the elderly life. Four of the projects were completed, whereas three have been being working and one still isn’t done. The quality of the elderly after using the model as a whole was very high level. The environment quality of the elderly is highest, followed by social, mentality, and family. The lowest quality of the elderly is physical health.

Keywords:

Elderly, Developmental model, Quality of the elderly life, Elderly organizations.