Center
for Research and Innovation in Elderly Care
Director: Assistant Professor Dr. Sirirat Panuthai
Email: siriratpanuthai@hotmail.com
In March, The Center began a new
project entitled “Development of a Model and Care Management of Chronically-Ill
Elders by Community Participation, Nong Hoi Sub-District.” The Center has had a
longstanding relationship with the Nong Hoi community, often sending master
students to provide care services for chronically-ill elders. The community
began voicing concerns regarding providing long-term care for the many elderly
who were chronically-ill and/or disabled. Given the Center’s experience in
long-term care, researchers began working with the community to develop a
research proposal tailored to their specific needs. Two community forums were
held in Nong Hoi during the proposal development process and the project
received funding from the Thai Research Fund, which promotes community-based
participatory research projects that are community-generated.
This participatory action research
project is overseen by a research team comprised of Center researchers, the
administrative officer from the Tambol Area Office (TAO), and nurses from the
local Health Promotion Hospital. Researchers first conducted a situational
analysis which involved focus groups with the elderly, their caregivers, key
people in the community, and community health volunteers. In-depth interviews
were conducted with personnel from the Health Promotion Hospital and the TAO.
Quantitative data was collected through a questionnaire completed by caregivers
and elderly persons who are chronically-ill and/or disabled. This provided
baseline data which researchers used to develop a long-term care model which
they pilot tested and revised. The next phases of the study will involve model
implementation, evaluation, ad community feedback.
The Center, in collaboration with the
Nursing Service Center, is conducting a 4-month training in Elderly Care for
Nurses from March-June. The Center is also developing a curriculum for a new
training in Elderly Care for Caregivers. The 420-hour curriculum is close to
completion and participant enrollment should be open soon. Currently, the
Center is exploring the idea to create an international version of this course
so that caregivers can assist elderly foreigners in Chiang Mai. Before this can
happen the Center will need to conduct a needs assessment to better tailor care
for elderly foreigners – activity-based care, daytime care, or 24-hour care.
More than likely, different training tracks will be developed based on identified
needs.
On February 4, Assistant Professor Dr.
Sirirat Panuthai gave an oral presentation on an intermediate care model for
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the Future of Population’s Health:
Transcultural Nursing and Health Care Quality conference in Chiang Mai.
On March 18-19, representatives from
the Center participated in a meeting at HelpAge International in Chiang Mai.
HelpAge is currently developing a publication outlining approaches and best
practices in community-based care in Southeast and East Asia. Representatives
from countries throughout the region were in attendance. This manual will be
published in the coming months. At the end of March, the Center invited the
National Health Security Office to discuss possible collaboration related to
updating the universal healthcare system to include coverage for home-based
care for the elderly. Currently universal health care only covers the cost of
care received in hospitals. The Center proposed conducting a pilot study to
compare the costs of home-based vs. hospitalized care which will inform this
potential change in national policy.