Developing alearning model for the dependent elderly care in a community, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Abstract

This action research was designed to develop an appropriate learning model for the dependent elderly care in the community by applying the principles of knowledge management, adult learning, and the learning process focusing on engagement and interaction with learning activities through practice (active learning) as the main tools in the process execution. This process study was divided into three steps. The first step was to analyze the existing situations, comprising the existing dependent elderly care in the community, problems, and obstacles.Also, it included the guidelines or processes for problem-solving in the areas that received the model sub-district standard for long-term care of the elderly in Khua Mung sub- district health- promoting hospital, Chiang Mai Province. Regarding participant observation used to study the operation of caregivers in the community were focus group discussions and open- ended questionnaires with the sample groups; the director, the care manager, and the caregivers from sub- district health- promoting hospitals. The data was collected by taking notes and analyzed using a fishbone diagram to identify problems and obstacles. Then, the results of the analysis proceeded to the second step to develop an appropriate learning model for the dependent elderly care in the community by applying knowledge management, adult learning, and the learning process focusing on the learners' participation with the collaboration through the learning activities (active learning) such as hands- on practicing, as well as the development of knowledge and skill evaluation. In the developing learning model, caring for pressure ulcer cleaning was used for the case study of learning. The target audiences were caregivers in the Khua Mung sub- district health- promoting hospital and dependent elderly family members in the Khua Mung community. The operated had occurred in the Khua Mung sub- district health- promoting hospital and the Khua Mung community. Therefore, the third step is to bring the developed learning model tested within the Nong Phak sub-district health-promoting hospital and the Nong Phak community. The study results found that the learning model for the dependent elderly care in the community was suitable. The developed learning process enabled the Khua Mung sub- district health- promoting hospital caregivers to have skills in caring for pressure ulcers, cleaning, and evaluating their performances. It was also shared and transferred on the knowledge gained to caregivers of Nong Phak sub-district health-promoting hospital and dependent elderly family members in Nong Phak community. This learning model could enable new skills and knowledge to take care of dependent elderly in the community from one community to another. It can be further developed to achieve the learning model for the dependent elderly care on knowledge and other essential skills to other groups in the community in the future.