Abstract
The increase of older persons accompanying with increasing chronic diseases resulted in high demand for long term care services. To meet the needs of dependent elderly, integration between social care and health cares are needed and that health workforce should be adequate in term of number, distribution, skill, and motivation. This study thus aimed to forecast health workforce requirements and supply as well as develop policy recommendations to address health workforce challenges for long term care services. Secondary data and primary data from surveys and in-depth interview were used. Sample size for self-administered questionnaires comprised 51 representatives and 331 health workforce from long term care facilities, 130 care managers, and 271 care givers. In additional, 42 concerned stakeholders were interviewed. The results showed that, in term of number, the requirements of health professional and care givers are likely to meet the supply in 2026, except those of nurses, social workers and care managers. Other health workforce challenges concerned with distribution, skill and motivation. Health workforce were poorly distributed to long term care and primary care services, skills to look after long term care were inadequate especially those of care givers, and turnover rate of care givers were high particularly at institutional care. To address health workforce challenges for the long- term care services, Thailand should increase the production of health workforce professional and care givers in relation to number and skills. In additional, increase motivation in order to retain them in the system is in need.
