A Synthesis of Integrated Care Service Model for Thai Elderly - การสังเคราะห์รูปแบบบริการดูแลสุขภาพผู้สูงอายุ แบบบูรณาการ

Abstract

       The objective of this research was to study models of integrated care service for Thai elderly and input factors leading to a well-established integrated care service model for the elderly in order to provide recommendations for policy and strategic plan of integrated care service model for the elderly. It was conducted during July – September 2014 in 4 selected provinces, one from each region of the country: Udon Thani, Lampang, Pang Nga, and Kanchanaburi. Key informants were administrators, officers and experts working on the elderly. Data were collected from meetings and focus group discussions with stakeholders (2 focus groups of 30 participants in each province). Documentary review of the strategic plans and policies related to care and services for Thai elderly was done as the last step of the study. Data analysis was performed by content analysis of the information collected from focus group discussions and documentary review. It was found that the models of integrated care service system could be categorized into 2 types: (1) health care service that focused on care and services related to health status, or services that the elderly need support from health personnel or health care team, and (2) community care service
which focused more on general health promotion and disease prevention, enhancing quality of life of the elderly, activities related to social care and services in community to maintain elderly’s wisdom, cultural and art contribution to maintain value of the elderly in society. Input factors in establishing the integrated care service system for the elderly comprised 4 factors: (1) policy; (2) people; (3) system; and (4) community. The authors recommended to revise strategic plan on integrated care service model for the elderly by adding the 4th strategy to the existing strategic plan, and to set up a system of monitoring and assessing this strategic plan systematically and continuously. Practical models of integrated care service for Thai Elderly were also proposed.
Key words: model, care system, Thai elderly, integrated health