Healthcare and Related Factors of the Elderly Living Alone in Bantad, Mueang District, Udonthani Province

Abstract

This descriptive research aimed to investigate healthcare and related factors and to describe healthcare problems and needs of the elderly living alone in Ban Tad, Mueang District, Udonthani Province. Thirty elderly living alone with the inclusion criteria were the purposive samples. Data were collected by interview forms—self-care knowledge, healthcare, healthcare problem and needs of the elderly living alone. Psychometric properties were tested by 3 experts and the index of item objective congruence was 0.78. After tryout in 30 elderly living alone, the Conbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.83. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis.

The results revealed that the overall healthcare of the elderly was at a high level (X̅ 3.50, SD 0.45). Over 70% of the elderly demonstrated knowledge above criteria, 50% had chronic diseases—hypertension, diabetes, 66.67% could helped themselves, 50% had to perform self-care, and the others had periodically received care from family and community members. For healthcare problems and needs, improper hygiene care, lack of exercise, inappropriate eating, sleepless, lack of caregiver, and financial problem for getting treatment were shown. The elderly requested care and different kinds of help from healthcare providers, relatives, and neighborhoods such as health facilities, appropriate activity arrangement, taking them to buy foods/help them cooking, having caregiver when they were sick, and safety care. The results reflect the necessity for the health agency in providing health promotion activities and physical and social safety to the elderly living alone.