District-level Collaboration for Improving Quality of Life of Older People in Thailand

Abstract

Thailand established district-level collaborations to improve citizens' quality of life and promote self-governance. Despite successful district-level collaborations to improve the quality of life (QoL) of older people through long-term care (LTC) policies, a lack of analysis of the collaborative process across the country persisted. To address this gap in knowledge, this study aimed to analyze the collaborative process at the district level in implementing LTC activities in Thailand. In this study, qualitative research was employed to collect data through in-depth interviews and non-participating observations during collaborative meetings in four regions of Thailand. The findings of this study indicate that in Thailand, district-level collaboration was overseen by the Committee for the Improvement of the Quality of Life at the District Level (CIQ), which comprised representatives from the public, private, and civil sectors. The CIQ was responsible for improving the QoL of older people and its activities included member selection, appointment, problem identification, problem prioritization, problem-solving planning, task delegation, joint operation, and monitoring. This collaboration was implemented in accordance with legal preferences for decentralization and has contributed to the effective and appropriate implementation of LTC operations. Furthermore, the collaborative approach utilized in this study may also be applicable to other collaborative operations.