Ms. Surang Panoi presented her plan ‘Strengthening Volunteer Network in the Community Project’, which aims to enhance community care for the aged in Khon Kaen. Interpreting assistance was provided by Khon Kaen University lecturer Ms. Puttatida Choeisai.

1. The City

Khon Kaen Municipality is a local administrative organization covering an area of 46 km². In 2008, its total population was 118,441 and 14,705 of this number were over 60 years old. This is estimated to be 9% of the population in 2009. A non-registered population of over 300,000 means a diversity of people in communities and many aging related social problems. 

Although not currently representing a large percentage of the total population, the aged face such problems as being abandoned by their children and having to look after their grandchildren, and health problems preventing them from earning a living. Public and private organization assistance only meets immediate needs, and is not continuous, and budget limitations mean Khon Kaen Municipality can only provide assistance to 26% of the total number of elderly. Private foundations provide materials, consumer goods, materials for house fixing, and financial aids in education, training, and health care for the disadvantaged elderly; and NGOs and other public bodies coordinate with the municipality to help. 

A database on population structure and underprivileged groups is required to learn more about the elderly, and public medical services need to be improved and located near the urban low-income community. Small clinics should provide basic medical services with hours suiting the community’s way of life. Appropriate laws and regulations for the aged are also required for strengthened community support and decentralization of welfare provision to be effective. And the elderly should be encouraged to transfer local wisdom and philosophy to the younger generation. 

A community awareness raising event for the aged in Khon Kaen

Citizen and family participation and awareness in organized community networks, with work plans and activities, is the best solution, and should be promoted by relevant government departments. Coordination with government agencies, careers, empowerment groups and academic development should be facilitated for the aged. Then, continuous promotion of multilateral cooperation between government and private sectors, community and academic organizations can find and develop the effective welfare system for the elderly, and solve the problems they encounter. Then a mutually reliant society, where the strong take care of the weak can be created.

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1. The Proposed Action Plan

With a limited budget, 10,800 of 14,705 elderly citizens on waiting lists to receive help, and only one volunteer responsible for taking care of the elderly in each of the municipality’s 87 communities, it has become essential for a volunteer network to strengthen communities and relieve the government sector’s workload in care provision to the elderly. 

To address this urgent situation, Ms. Surang Panoi’s plan, ‘Strengthening Volunteer Network in the Community Project’, will educate volunteers to take care of the elderly, raising awareness and increasing volunteer responsibility. Representatives from all 87 communities will attend planning meetings in 4 zones (around 20 in each meeting), and will become local leaders of the project, training sub-groups in their communities. 

Ideas for the implementation will also be exchanged with local public and private organizations such as schools, the university, hospitals, foundations and clubs. Arranged into groups, the volunteers will provide basic health and sanitary care to the aged, help with obtaining their meals and living allowances, assist with transportation to hospitals and participation in local traditional activity groups in the communities, and also teach them to read, and give vocational training. The volunteers will also serve as a link between the aged and the local government, transmitting data on their daily living conditions and welfare requirements. 

Large funds are not needed to support the program, but financial support will initially come from Khon Kaen Municipality (60%), with the remaining support coming from central government and the private sector, with 10% being provided by the communities themselves. Support for training will also come from local hospitals, public health centers, the university, schools, villagers, NGOs and the private sector. It is hoped that central homes for the elderly might be established in the future, depending on local government policy. The plan aims to train a total of 2,000 volunteers over three years (15 for each local community).

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Khon Kaen Action Plan Time Frame: November 2008 – December 2009

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