UNDERSTANDING LIFE SCENARIOS OF OLDER PEOPLE IN SOCIETY FROM A NORTHERN THAI COMMUNITY: ETHNOGRAPHY RESEARCH
Keywords:
Community nurses, ethnographic research, life scenes, ways of life, older peopleAbstract
Many countries, including Thailand, are entering a period of an aging society. Agingpeople have various problems and needs that affect their health in terms of social,economic, environmental, and medical aspects. An ethnographic research method wasemployed to study the ways of life of older people in a community using the social,economic, environmental, and cultural contexts of the area. This ethnographic report ispart of a larger study on ‘nutrition and older people’. Data were collected throughobservations, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and by analyzing availabledocuments which were available from the area studied. After relationships had been builtand trust had been gained with the community, the researchers spent 1 year and 3months studying the elderly group. The key informants were 41 older people and theirfamilies. The data were analyzed by content analysis. The results revealed 18 lifescenarios of older people in the community which encompassed: 1) self-reliance, 2)running a family, 3) medical examination of one’s own health conditions, 4) socializingwith neighbors and friends, 5) journeys, 6) getting help when needed, 7) contribution tosociety, 8) social activities, 9) contribution to local organizations, 10) practicing religionand beliefs, 11) managing resources or pension schemes, 12) giving, 13) saving andhelping to raise funds to assist and support others who need help, 14) work life, 15)learning, training, and enhancing knowledge, 16) transferring knowledge and teachingnew generations, 17) being a role model, and 18) exercising political rights. Recognizingthis information led to a better understanding of alternative ways of life and a clearermeaning of the term ‘older people’. If community nurses and multidisciplinary teamsunderstand ways of life, beliefs, health care, and food consumption, it will help healthpersonnel to design clearer and more comprehensive care for older people which is a
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