Participatory evaluation of older adults’ self-neglect: A case study in crowded community, Bangkok

Abstract

© 2018, Medical Association of Thailand. All rights reserved. Objective: To define risks or basic factors associated with older adults’ self-neglect, clarify to appropriate meaning, and develop participatory self-neglect’s management methods in crowded community. Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight older adults including stakeholders were participated in focus group discussion to determine meaning older adults’ self-neglect and developing self-neglect evaluation questionnaire. Older adults were assessed by this self-neglect questionnaire and presented overall information in community forum to develop self-neglect’s management methods. Results: Self-neglect in older adults’ perspectives was defined as lack of physical and mental care in activity daily live. Twenty-one indicators were emerged and categorized into three key result areas: self-neglect risk factors, behaviors, and effects. Three first self-neglect risk factors were lack of self-care knowledge, older adults’ physical and mental health problems. Similarly, self-neglect behaviors were deficit interaction with other people, lack of exercises and healthy diets affecting older adults’ physical and psychological health, family’s finance and psychological health. After reporting self-neglect information in community forum, two management methods were suggested including volunteer groups for taking care older adults and illegal loan change into legal loans with lower interest rates. Conclusion: Older adults’ self-neglect is essential to evaluate and develop a management plan to solve impact of older adults’ self-neglect using community participation resulting in improving quality of life in older adults and their families.