KKU happily opens “Ban Kho Sub-district Elderly Care and Community Research Center” to serve the dependent elderly for better quality of life by joining with the social network to build the mechanism in deploying community health system development and promoting the community elderly’s health.
Friday December 8, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. – The Northeast Regional Research Network, Khon Kaen University, in collaboration with the National Research Council (NRC), held the opening ceremony of “Ban Kho Sub-district Elderly Care and Community Research Center” at Ban Kho Sub-district Conference Room, Ban Kho Sub-district, Muang District, Khon Kaen. At the ceremony, Prof. Chainarong Navanukhroh, Ph.D., Vice Chairman of the Northeast Regional Research Network reported about the background of the Project, while Prof. Thidarat Boonmars, Ph.D., Vice President for Innovation and Enterprise, who presided over the event, delivered the opening speech, gave the certificates to those having passed the elderly care program and the name plate of the Community Research Center. Among the distinguished guests attending were Assoc. Prof. Ampornpan Teeranut, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Nursing; Mr. Jakkapong Phetsaen, Ban Kho Sub-district Mayor; Mr. Pitpiboon Tanapornkanokrat, Municipal Clerk of Ban Kho Sub-distruct; committee members of the Community Research Center; Director of Ban Kho Sub-district Health Promotion Hospital; Sub-district Head; Village Heads, and the program trainees.
Prof. Chainarong Navanukhroh, Ph.D., Vice Chairman of the Northeast Regional Research Network and the Project Head reported that with the National Research Council collaborating with the Northeast Regional Research Network, Khon Kaen University, the work on dissemination of knowledge related to care of the increasing number of dependent elderly has been under progress, together with the foundation of one Community Research Center, i.e., “Ban Kho Sub-district Elderly Care and Community Research Center”. The center foundation was cooperated by the Faculty of Nursing, Khon Kaen University, Ban Kho Sub-district Municipality; Ban Kho Sub-district Health Promotion Hospital; Ban Sam Jan Sub-district Health Promotion Hospital; village health volunteers and community leaders. The key mechanism is to develop collaboration of the social network to propel participatory community health problem management. This will lead to better quality of life of the community elderly, who will from now on live happily with their children.
Prof. Thidarat Boonmars, Ph.D., Vice President for Innovation and Enterprise, Khon Kaen University expressed her appreciation of the foundation of “Ban Kho Sub-district Elderly Care and Community Research Center” and the trainees of the Care Giver Training Program. At present, it is very important to find new approaches in the operation that include research and development of innovation in elderly care so that the outcomes will be better than before. The foundation of Ban Kho Research Center is significant social innovation and a mechanism that will lead to success in elderly care development and sustainable community health care. Those who have passed the Care Giver CG training program, which was a 70-hour program, have acquired knowledge and have passed the practices in accordance with the standard of the Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health. Therefore, they are competent in giving care to the elderly and will enable the community elderly to live happily with good quality of life.
Prof. Chainarong added that the changes of the population structure have led to continuous increasing proportion of the elderly at present. It is going to rise from 20% now to 28% in 2031. This means Thailand is entering a complete “aged society”, which will be the “utmost aged society in 2031. The impact will be on the elderly themselves, their family, the society and the country. The Northeast Regional Research Network of Khon Kaen University has therefore collaborated with the National Research Council to establish “Ban Kho Sub-district Elderly Care and Community Research Center” in order to carry out different activities in disseminating knowledge and dealing with problems of the dependent elderly. The key mechanism is to develop collaboration of social network in the operation for driving forward community health system development through participation of the related network. The quality of life of the community elderly will be improved and the mission can be extended to other groups in other areas for stability and sustainability of the country as stated in the 20-Year National Strategic Plans (2018-2037).
News: Banjamaporn Mamook
Photos: The Northeast Regional Research Network of Khon Kaen University