The Role of Local Administrative Organizations and Collaborative Network Integration in Elderly Empowerment: A Case Study of Phitsanulok Province

Abstract

This study aims to examine the approaches of local administrative organizations in elderly empowerment and analyze collaborative network integration in developing sustainable elderly care systems in Phitsanulok Province. The qualitative research methodology employed in-depth interviews with 15 key informants, including local administrative organization officials, sub-district health promoting hospital staff, village health volunteers, and community leaders, along with policy document analysis. The findings reveal that local administrative organizations play crucial roles in three main dimensions: providing social welfare and services, supporting health promotion activities, and creating opportunities for elderly participation in community activities. However, operations face limitations in budget allocation, administrative structure, and collaborative mechanisms among network partners. Collaborative network integration requires four essential components: developing cooperation structures, strengthening relationships and trust, efficient resource sharing, and developing sustainable management approaches. Policy recommendations include developing budget systems to support elderly care projects, establishing effective monitoring and evaluation systems, creating integrated elderly care committees at the local level, and developing elderly health networks through information technology. The study contributes to understanding the complexities of elderly empowerment at the local level and provides practical guidelines for sustainable elderly care system development that can be adapted to other provinces in Thailand.