Public Services and Quality of Life of the Elderly in the Southern Border Provinces: A Case Study of Sabai Yoi District, Songkhla Province, Thailand
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55164/ecbajournal.v17i4.274949Keywords:
Public Services, Welfare Economics, Quality of Life for the ElderlyAbstract
The objectives of this research were as follows: 1) To study the current state of public services for the elderly, the quality of public service, the quality of life of the elderly, and the needs for public service and welfare for the elderly in Saba Yoi District, Songkhla Province. 2) To examine the factors of public service that affect the quality of life of the elderly. 3) To explore appropriate methods for enhancing the quality of life of the elderly based on the participatory approach of local administrative organizations. The research involved conducting in-depth interviews with 15 service recipients and welfare workers, as well as collecting questionnaire data from 400 samples to assess the quality of public service, the quality of life, the needs for public service and welfare for the elderly, and to analyze factors affecting the quality of life of the elderly using multiple regression analysis. The in-depth interviews and questionnaires were analyzed to provide recommendations for improving the quality of life. Key findings indicated that the average quality of public service is rated as low, while the average quality of life is rated as moderate. The factors of public service that significantly positively impact the quality of life, ranked by importance, were social security, health and medical, and income-related services. In contrast, the factors that had a statistically significant negative impact on the quality of life were housing and recreational services. Recommendations for improving the quality of life of the elderly included focusing on recreational activities based on religious principles, providing emergency housing services, developing a database system, and promoting their participation. These efforts aim to enhance societal benefits, reflecting an increase in social welfare as per the concept of welfare economics.
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