Abstract
The objectives of the study of Social Care System for Elderly are to study and
synthesize meaning, area and format including mechanism of social care for dependent
elderly in abroad to present guidelines for integrating health care and social care system for
dependent elderly in Thailand. This study is documentary research which data are collected
from textbooks, research reports, academic journals, theses and related electronic data about
social care in Thailand and other countries such as United Kingdom, United States, Canada,
Australia and Japan. Due to those countries have good role models for elderly welfare that
could be applied and presented integrating of health and social care for Thailand. The findings
are as follows;
Social care is the system designed to help, protect and educate elderly who face
physical and psychological problems. It would help elderly to self-support in daily life or help
them to better develop their potentials. The formats of social care service are family, social
and also institutional levels. In addition, social care mechanism setting must start from
government agencies as the center to set policies, resources, administrative formats, service
formats, budgets including responsibility transition to local authorities and create formal and
informal social care networks for always and thoroughly driving care to elderly and families to
create good quality of life to elderly. The important mechanism to push dependent elderly to
effective service is to consider elderly qualifications and set channels to access social care
services as the following steps: 1) Examining elderly rights 2) Evaluating elderly for considering
care activities 3) Paying care expenses 4) Getting services according care activities.
The recommendations for developing social care system for elderly divide into 5
aspects: 1) Creating basic concept, importance and readiness of social care 2) Seeking ways for
developing suitable social care service for elderly 3) Planning to produce and develop human
resources who expertise in caring elderly with quality 4) Setting administrative approach for
driving elderly implementation 5) Setting and integrating funds for health and social care.
