location: nan, 'Thailand 
year: 2001 source: HSRI 
title: Possible models of health promotion and care for elderly under the condition of community participation and elderly's need : a case study in Songkhla province 
abstract:This study aimed to explore the health status of older people, their health behaviors and needs of health care services. Also it explored the potential and readiness of community participation and investigated strategies for providing health services under the condition of community participation and meeting elderly’s needs. Data were collected from older people who lived in two rural villages in Songkhla province. Participants were 95 from older people, 59 from village A and 36 from village B. Questionnaires, interviews, audiotape focus group meeting and home visits were used to collect relevant data. Data were then analyzed using content analysis. The results showed that among the 95 older people, thirty-seven percents were males and sixty-three were females. Ages ranged from 60-84 years with the average age were 71 years. The average age for male older people were 67 and for female were 72. All participants were Thai ethnic and Buddhist. Most of the participants, had primary school educated and living with their spouses and children. They perceived having adequate incomes and perceived their health as “equal or at the same level of health” as compared to other older people in their age group. Sixty-one percents of the older people perceived that they had some health problems. The three most common health problems were a. knee joints/back pain (30%), b. hypertension (27%) and c. heart disease (16%). Health promotion behaviors of the participants were practicing followed the medical advice, exercise, and eating useful food. In their perception of needs of health care services, they reported that they wished to be healthy so that they still can be able to keep working and keep performing self-care. As they were healthy, they did not expect help from their children or from the community. However, when they were ill, they would like their children to help taking care of them or accompanying them to see doctors and paying the bills. They indicated their needs to meet other older people as a social group and having organized group activities such as exercise, health education, group relation, dinning together and offering medications when getting a minor illness such as catching a cold. In surveying of the readiness, potentiality and community participation needs, the data revealed that the studied communities had economic readiness as the people felt their children could find jobs and gain adequate incomes. There were group gathering of housewives and teenage representatives to performed activities. After discussed with key persons involved in caring for older people including elderly themselves, to identify a health promotion model that involved community participation and meeting the needs of older people. Firstly, the community agreed to enhance the local wisdom projects to treat the main health problems of elderly, for example, the use of herbal medicines and massage to treat the arthritis/ joint pain of the older people. Second, the community agreed to arrange a group gathering of older people to run the health promotive activities. The activities would function under the guidance of the health professionals in the design and conduct of various programs. An exercise program would be initiated and instituted by the health professionals. Funding support would have to come from the local government so that the programs can be perceived as governmental support and co-operation for local initiatives. Thirdly, the children and housewives group were agree to support and take care the older people when they get into late older and got sick. Two factors influenced the success of implementing the health promotion program for elderly were the leadership and the attitude and expectation of older people to the group gathering.