Age-friendly Community and Opportunities for Meaningful Life of the Elderly: Lessons Learned from Hua-Ngum Sub-district, Chiang Rai, Thailand
Keywords:
Age-friendly community, age-friendliness in rural community, Thai aging society, community welfare.Abstract
The research aims to study the situation of an aged society in Hua-Ngum sub-district, Chiang Rai, Thailand, which is defined as an age-friendly community in a rural area, and to identify the features of age-friendliness in the sub-district. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are used. The results indicate that for approximately ten years, the Hua-Ngum sub-district Administrative Organization (SAO) and its partners have launched key age-related activities in the sub-district. Those activities have contributed several opportunities towards age-friendly features in Hua-Ngum, such as the opportunities for learning, participating, connecting isolated elderly people to the rest of the community, as well as integrating the elderly with the younger generations, contributions made by the elderly, and the elderly being valued and respected within the community. The lessons learned based on the Hua-Ngum age-friendly community experience indicates the particular power of a local community to tackle its own aging society with regards to the social capital and social participation of all community members.
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Austin, C., McClelland, R., Perrault, E., Sieppert, J. (2009). The Elder-Friendly Communities Program. Journal of American Society on Aging. Summer 2009, Volume 33, Number 2, 87-90.
Clark, K. & Glicksman, A. (2012). Age-friendly Philadelphia: Bringing Diverse Networks Together aroundAging Issues. Journal of Housing For the Elderly, 26:121-136. Retrieved June 20, 2014, from https://fedweb-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/fed-2/2/Clark%2520and%2520Glicksman%2520-%2520%2520Age-friendly%2520Phila-%2520JHE.pdf.
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Eales, J., Keefe, J., Keating, N. (2008). Age-friendly rural communities. In Keating, N. (Ed.), Rural Ageing A Good Place to Grow Old? (pp. 109-120). Great Britain: The Policy Press.
Everingham, J.A., Petriwskyj, A., Warburton, J., Cuthill, M., Bartlett, H. (2009). Information Provision for an Age-Friendly Community. Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19845650.
Federal/Provincial/Territory Ministers Responsibility for Seniors, Canada. (2011). Age-Friendly Rural and Remote Communities: A Guide. Retrieved June 20, 2014, from http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/seniors-aines/alt-formats/pdf/ publications/public/healthy- sante/age_friendly_rural/AFRRC_en.pdf
Foundation of Thai Gerontology Research and Development Institute (TGRI). (2009). Situation of the Thai Elderly 2008. Bangkok: TQR Ltd.
Foundation of Thai Gerontology Research and Development Institution (TGRI). (2013). Annual Report: Situation of Thai Elderly 2011. Bangkok: Pongpanich-chareonbhol Ltd.
Foundation of Thai Gerontology Research and Development Institute (TGRI). (2016). Situation of the Thai elderly 2014. Bangkok: Amarin Printing& Publishing Public Company Limited.
Green, G. (2012). Age-Friendly Cities of Europe. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, Vol. 90. Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3764270/.
Jitapunkul, S., Kespichayawattana, J., Chayovan, N., Yodpet, S. (2008). Age Profile-Health System and Long-term Care in Thailand: Facts and Policy Response. Bangkok: Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Thailand.
Kadoya, Y. (2013). Towards an Age-friendly City: The Constraints Preventing the Elderly’s Participation in Community Programs in Akita City. Discussion Paper No.870. The Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University. Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.iser.osaka-u.ac.jp/library/dp/2013/DP0870.pdf
Lui, C.W., Everingham, J.A., Warburton, J., Cuthill. M., Bartlett, H. (2009). What makes a community age-friendly: a review of the international literature. Australasian Journal on Aging, Vol 28 No 3. . Retrieved May 18, 2014, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/38026570_What_makes_a_community_age-friendly_A_review_of_
international_literature (September 2009).
Menec, V.H., Nowicki, S. (2014). Examining the relationship between communities・'age-friendliness' and life satisfaction and self-perceived health in rural Manitoba, Canada. Rural and Remote Health. . Retrieved July 13, 2014, from http://www.rrh.org.au/publishedarticles/article_print_2594.pdf.
National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB). (2015). Poverty line divided by regional and areas (B.E.2531-2557). . Retrieved November 25, 2016, from http://social.nesdb.go.th/SocialStat/StatReport_Final.aspx?reportid=854&template=2R1C&yeartype=M&subcatid=59 (in Thai).
National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT). (2010). Research Strategy in Northern Region (BE. 2555-2559). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from: http://www1.nrct.go.th/
downloads/ps/draft_policies_strategies_2555-2559/strategy55-59_north.pdf (in Thai).
National Statistical Office. (2008). Report on the 2007 Survey of the Older Persons in Thailand. Bangkok: National Statistical Office (in Thai).
National Statistical Office (NSO). (2010). The 2010 Population and Housing Census. Bangkok: National Statistical Office. (in Thai)
Plouffe, L. and Kalache, A. (2010). Towards Global Age-Friendly Cities: Determining Urban Features that Promote Active Aging. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, Vol.87,No.5. Retrieved February 20, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2937125/.
Richard, L., Gauvin, L., Gosselin, C., and Laforest, S. (2008). Staying connected: neightbourhood correlates of social participation among older adults living in an urban environment. Health Promotion International, Vol.24 No.1. Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19098293
Wu, A, S., Tank, C, S.k., Yan, E, C.W. (2005). Post-retirement voluntary work and psychological functioning among older Chinese on Hong Kong. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology. Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15875123
Zaninotto, P., Breeze, E., McMunn, A., Nazroo, J. (2012). Socially Productive Activities, Reciprocity and Well-Being in Early Old Age: Gender-Specific Results from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Journal of Population Ageing. Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12062-012-9079-3
Scharlach, A. (2012). Creating Aging-Friendly Communities in the United States. Retrieved May 18, 2014, from https://www.dcu.ie/sites/default/files/afu/Scharlach-2012.pdf (29 November 2011).
Tangyongthakun, N., (2010) . Roles of Community-Based Saving Groups for the Elderly Welfare in Local Communities of Northern Thailand. The Proceeding of National Conference on Demography 2010. November, 25th-26th, 2010. Bangkok: the Twin Tower Hotel (in Thai).
United Nations (UN), Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2013). World Population Ageing 2013. ST/ESA/SER.A/348. Retrieved July 18, 2016 from http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/WorldPopulationAgeing2013.pdf
United Nations (UN), Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2015). World Population Ageing 2015. ST/ESA/SER.A/390. Retrieved July 18, 2016, from http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/WPA2015_Report.pdf
United Nations, Division for the Advancement of Women, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2002). Gender Dimensions of Ageing. Retrieved August 20, 2016 from, http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/public/ageing-final.pdf
World Health Organization (WHO). (2007). Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide. France: World Health Organization.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2011) Global Health and Aging. . Retrieved May 6, 2016, fromhttp://www.who.int/ageing/publications/global_health.pdf
World Health Organization (WHO). (2016). Gender and ageing. Retrieved August 20 from, http://www.who.int/ageing/gender/en/
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Published
06-02-2019
How to Cite
Thepparp, R., & Uemura, H. (2019). Age-friendly Community and Opportunities for Meaningful Life of the Elderly: Lessons Learned from Hua-Ngum Sub-district, Chiang Rai, Thailand. Journal of Social Work and Social Administration, 25(1), 157–202. Retrieved from https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/swjournal/article/view/170599
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