Social Capital in Addressing Palliative Care Service to Patients and Their Families: Lesson Learned from Muang Nam Dam Volunteer Group and Kalasin Municipality

Abstract

This research is a qualitative study with the objectives of examining and extracting lessons from the use of social capital in palliative care for patients and their families provided by the Muang Nam Dam volunteer group and the Kalasin municipality. It aims to recommend formal community palliative care policies for Thailand’s government municipality-level administrations in the Northeast. The study is based on field data collection through in-depth interviews with the key informants, comprising leaders and representatives from Kalasin City municipality (11 people), Muang Nam Dam and its networks (14 people), and patients and families (7 people), totaling 32 individuals. The study identified essential operational principles of the network, functioning as both a primary and secondary network, fostering teamwork, emphasizing transparency while respecting the rights and decisions of patients and families, and operating based on knowledge, which align with the characteristics of social capital. Moreover, its main aspects of care services were “being with”, providing companionship as family members, and “doing for”, offering support services to address psychological and social needs. To incorporate social capital factors, which were derived and constructed from group and network relationships, shared objectives, trust and mutual reciprocity, the study recommended that the local government should enhance the participation of the active elderly, the youth, and the educational institutes, improve readiness regarding management and appropriate timing for network expansion, adopt a holistic view of health, and apply social capital in the municipality's community health policy.