On March 15, 2021, Walailak University, led by Assistant Professor Jirapat Navarat, Dr. Jarupha Ketthip lecturer in the School of Allied Health Sciences, along with the working group of The Academic Service Center. They won the Good Practice award in academic service entitled “Community Service Project for Rehabilitation of Elderly Movement” at the Stage of Academic Quality for the Institution of Education 11th from the Assistant Professor Dr. Wichit Sukthon, a vice-chancellor, acting President of Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University, disseminates Good Practice exhibitions at the Nilphayak meeting room.
Regarding to the increase of aging populations since 2005, Thailand is becoming an aging society and expected to enter a complete-aged society in 2021. According to the statistics of the elderly in Thailand, Nakhon Si Thammarat is the second largest proportion of the elderly population in the South of Thailand and some of them are disabled caused by aging and diseases.
Hence, the Center of Academic Service has cooperated with the Physical Therapy Department, School of Allied Health Sciences to create “the Community Service Project for the Rehabilitation of the Elderly Movement.” In 2020, this project has received a budget for implementation from the project plan to support social engagement under the holistic model by applying The WU HAPPY TREE model which are good career, good health, good resources and environment, good education, and a good cultural society.
The Center of Academic Service operates the project on Satit Walailak community to navigate this project toward a developing system of care for the elderly bedridden patients with methods, processes, operational guidelines implemented following PDCA principles.
The result of this project caused changes according to the goal setting. First, services up to 75% and 25% remained stable, no any worse symptoms. Secondly, 6 mainstay appeared to take care of elderly bedridden patients. The results of this project brought a network of care for the elderly bedridden patients and decreasing the limitation of the lack of physical therapists. Besides, the leadership could accessible to new patients. Therefore, the project approach is consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals: SDGs of United Nations. According to 3rd goal of Sustainable Development, “Good Health and Well-being”, emphasized on promoting the health and well-being of the elderly at the local level and community. At the same time, the 17th goal, “Partnerships for the Goals”, emphasized on promoting building cooperation with various networks and related organizations such as The Sub-district Promoting Satit Walailakpattana Community Hospital, Thasala Subdistrict Administrative organization, Physical Therapy Department – Thasala Hospital, Physical Therapy Department – Maharaj Hospital Nakhon Si Thammarat, including the Tha Sala District Public Health Office in participating in the process of designing a system for rehabilitation, care for elderly bedridden patients.