DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY INNOVATION CARE FOR SUSTAINABLE ELDERLY WITH DISABILITIES BASED ON BUDDHISM OF LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATIOBS IN LAMPHUN PROVINCE

Abstract

          The objectives of this research are improving community systems, developing community voluntary learning for elderly healthcare services, and creating community-based innovations with sustainable healthcare towards elderly people with disabilities in accordance with the Buddhist concept of Local Administrative Organization. This model of research was a mixed method and research areas consisted of three Li District Local Administrative Organizations, Lamphun Province, namely, Wang Din Sub-district Municipality, Dong Dam Sub-district Municipality, and Kor Sub-district Municipality. The key informants were; 1) 15 local administrators and officers, 2) 60 elderly people, and 3) 60 volunteer communities using a specific selection. The research instruments were questionnaires, interviews and group discussion. The content analysis was being used to write a descriptive narrative for qualitative research.

            The results illustrated that;

1.  The community mechanisms in development for the sustainable healthcare of the elderly with disabilities in accordance with the Buddhist concept of the 5 Local Administrative Organization consisted of 1) the elderly club, 2) volunteerism, 3) religious organizations, 4) community organizations and 5) Local Administrative Organizations. It is important to facilitate and support the collaborative efforts of both organizations in order to promote health care mechanisms for elderly people with disabilities, with the local government becoming the center of communication and brainstorming in creating activities for the elderly to acknowledge the benefits of community participation, social responsibility, self-development training opportunities and voluntary spirit of leading an ageing society to be a truly happy society.
2. The learning development of community volunteers with the health caring towards the elderly consists of three essential components; life, professional and academic subjects by integrating Buddhist concepts into four dimensions of learning; 1) the physical dimension - morality, 2) the social dimension - morality, 3) the mental dimension-concentration, and 4) the intellectual dimension wisdom. The volunteer community's caring aims to provide complete self-awareness to the elderly, not deteriorating from disability, and leading to quality, health and safety.
3. The community-based innovation that arises, referred to as "Volunteer (Mahachula) Mind" or VMCU Model, has four components: 1) volunteering, 2) engagement and empowerment (moral support), 3) loving and caring, and 4) supporting facilities (Universal Design). Public volunteer associations and Local Administrative Organizations will guide this innovation to continue improving policies to specifically assist elderly people with disabilities.