Guidelines for Social Welfare Provision Affecting Development of Quality of Life of the Elderly in Phetchaburi Municipality, Phetchaburi Province

Abstract

 This research article aims to 1) study the level of social welfare provision and the development of the elderly’s quality of life in Phetchaburi Municipality area, Phetchaburi Province, 2) study social welfare provision affecting development of the elderly’s quality of life in Phetchaburi Municipality area, Phetchaburi Province, and 3) propose guidelines for social welfare provision appropriate for developing the elderly’s quality of life in Phetchaburi Municipality area, Phetchaburi Province. The mixed research method was applied in this study. For quantitative research, the samples were the elderly in the Phetchaburi Municipality area, totaling 374, selected by using a simple random sampling method. The questionnaire, with a reliability of 0.922, was used for collecting data. The data were analyzed by using percentage, mean, and standard deviation, and stepwise multiple regression analysis. For the qualitative study, an in-depth interview was used for collecting data from 20 key informants, selected by using a purposive sampling method from the Permanent Secretary of Phetchaburi Municipality, Officers of the Social Welfare Division, Phetchaburi Municipality, and representatives of the elderly in the community. The research results were as follows: 1) Social welfare provision for the elderly and the results of developing the elderly’s quality of life were overall at a high level. 2) The factors in social welfare provision affecting the development of the elderly’s quality of life in the Phetchaburi Municipality area, Phetchaburi Province, with a regression coefficient (R) = 0.728, with a positive effect in every aspect, and a prediction efficiency of 53.10 percent. It could be written in a regression equation as follows. _tot = 0.271 (X₄) + 0.241 (X₃) + 0.143 (X₂). 3) The guidelines for social welfare provision appropriate for developing the elderly’s quality of life were: 1) Activities for creating family relationship should be promoted, 2) The elderly service center should be established to solve the problem of the elderly living alone, 3) A center for taking care of the disable elderly should be established, and 4) The activities conforming to the needs of each age group should be organized.