The Relationship between the Potential of the Elderly and Satisfaction with the Provision of Social Welfare for the Elderly of Phu Khae Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Chalermphrakiat District, Saraburi Province

Abstract

     The purposes of this research were: 1. to study the potential factors of the elderly in Phu Khae Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Chalermphrakiat District, Saraburi Province; 2. to examine the satisfaction level of the elderly toward the provision of social welfare; 3. to investigate the relationship between the potential factors of the elderly and their satisfaction with the provision of social welfare; and 4. to propose guidelines for improving social welfare provision for the elderly. The population consisted of 328 elderly people aged 60 years and above whose names were registered in the civil registry of Phu Khae Subdistrict. The sample group comprised 180 respondents, selected by simple random sampling. The research instrument was a questionnaire divided into three parts with a total of 57 items. The reliability coefficients were 0.88 and 0.91. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

     The results revealed that: 1. the overall potential of the elderly was at a high level, with mental health scoring the highest mean, while the economic and income aspect scored the lowest; 2. the overall satisfaction of the elderly with social welfare provision was at a high level, with health and care receiving the highest mean, whereas social and learning activities were rated the lowest; 3. the potential of the elderly was positively correlated with their satisfaction toward social welfare provision at a statistically significant level of .05, with mental health showing the strongest correlation; and 4. the proposed guidelines emphasized an integrated approach across multiple dimensions—physical health, mental health, economy, society, and wisdom—through the participation of families, communities, and local administrative organizations, in order to sustainably enhance the quality of life of the elderly.