Journal of Social Work Professions Council of Thailand

The Roles and Challenges of Social Workers in Local Administrative Organizations: A Case Study of the Dementia Café Program in the Community

2025-06-13T16:31:30+07:00

In a Complete-Aged Society, one of the key issues that demands attention is dementia in the older persons, which significantly affects not only the patients themselves but also their families and communities. This article aims to present the community-level situation of dementia, the models of care services for older persons with dementia in Thailand, the role of social workers, and proposed approaches to strengthen the role of social workers within local administrative organizations.

A case study method was employed, focusing on five local administrative organizations that have implemented the Dementia Café concept. Data was collected through interviews, document analysis, and field observations. The study found that social workers play a vital role in assessing family contexts, providing counseling, and coordinating inter-agency collaboration. However, there remain several key challenges: (1) limitations in the social work curriculum at the higher education level; (2) limited recognition of the social work profession's role in dementia care; (3) shortages in specialized knowledge, skills, and experience among social workers; (4) a lack of programs and care systems for older persons with dementia and their family caregivers; (5) the practice of social work not yet covering the diverse needs of affected older persons; and (6) inefficiencies in the mechanisms for health and social protection for dementia patients.

The article recommends the development of a national integrated action plan for the social protection of older persons with dementia, the promotion of multidisciplinary team roles, and greater governmental support in terms of resources, budget, personnel, and knowledge for social workers within local administrative organizations. These recommendations would enable these organizations to design and implement service programs for older persons/ with dementia in their communities in a continuous and systematic manner.

The Living of Ageing LGBT

2025-06-25T09:56:05+07:00

This qualitative research study examines the living conditions of elderly LGBT individuals, focusing on their life situations, life patterns, and factors influencing their quality of life The study employed in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with LGBT elderly individuals aged 55 and above. Data were collected through purposive sampling followed by snowball sampling, resulting in 23 participants from 6 provinces under the responsibility of the Office of Academic Promotion and Support 7. Data analysis involved categorization, content interpretation, and analysis.

The research findings reveal that the living situations of elderly LGBT individuals encompass five dimensions: family, education, occupation, social/community, and self-expression. Through synthesis of interview data from all 23 participants, three distinct life patterns were identified, corresponding to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:

Pattern 1: Physiological Needs - Individuals with primary to high school education working in labor and agriculture. Their life situations include: Family dimension - families remain unaccepting and restrictive regarding gender identity, with parents desiring children to conform to their biological sex. Education dimension - limited learning and self-development opportunities, though possessing specialized agricultural expertise in rice farming and cultivation, knowing how to maximize yields and investment returns. Occupation dimension - families engaged in traditional agriculture passed down through generations, practicing sufficiency economy and sustainable farming; despite unstable income, maintaining adequate daily living without financial distress and finding happiness in the sufficiency lifestyle. Social/community dimension - participating in activities when not occupied during farming seasons. Self-expression dimension - desiring freedom in living and seeking life partnerships.

Pattern 2: Love and Social Needs - Individuals with diploma to bachelor’s degree education working in civil service, retired government positions, and private business or commerce. Their life situations include: Family dimension - less warm family relationships due to non-acceptance; families don’t force but attempt to direct life paths. Education dimension - self-motivated learning and seeking opportunities for self-development, demonstrating above-average capabilities to gain social acceptance. Occupation dimension - parents have both stable and unstable careers while participants maintain stable careers with financial security. Social/community dimension - during school years, some peer groups did not accept their gender identity, experiencing severe verbal bullying that caused psychological impact and emotional wounds; currently participate willingly in community activities as volunteers whenever opportunities arise. Self-expression dimension - clear expression regarding love, seeking love without attachment.

Pattern 3: Esteem Needs - Individuals with bachelor’s degree or higher education in civil service, retired government positions, and private business. Their life situations include: Family dimension - warm relationships with gender identity acceptance, no pressure or coercion, resulting in participants having optimistic worldviews. Education dimension - received quality educational opportunities, demonstrated knowledge and abilities, with continuous capability development. Occupation dimension - both parents and participants have stable careers with expertise in their fields and good financial and social standing. Social/community dimension - serve as core leaders in social and community activities, receiving respect and recognition. Self-expression dimension - varying degrees of gender expression; desire workplace acceptance and ability to live happily and freely; do not seek romantic partnerships, with family as the center of happiness.

Five key factors influencing life patterns and active aging (resilience) of participants were identified: 1) family conditions, 2) economic status, 3) educational opportunities, 4) community and society, and 5) self-expression. Starting with family - lacking nurturing with love and warmth, poor relationships between family members, families that don’t accept and restrict gender diversity. Regarding income - unstable family economics, mostly in agriculture, general labor, or small trade; this group has little or no land ownership, minimal capital, and often rents land and housing for their livelihood. For education – parents’ education level generally correlates with participants’ education levels; parents with below-basic education tend to result in children receiving only basic education opportunities. Concerning community and society - communities not accepting gender diversity impact community members who mock both LGBT individuals and their families about gender identity. For self-expression - important behavioral characteristics include clear expression according to one’s gender identity, desire for social acceptance, preference for friends with similar or same gender identities, need for love and understanding regarding gender identity, and ultimately, desire for freedom in living.

In summary, these five factors affect the acceptance or non-acceptance of gender diversity in Thai society and impact individual behavior and decision-making, reflecting quality of life characteristics or active aging at vulnerable levels. Meanwhile, participants with excellent active aging conditions demonstrate opposite characteristics in all five factors.

The study proposes three approaches for promoting and developing quality of life for elderly LGBT individuals based on in-depth interviews and preliminary research findings: (1) building relationships and understanding within families, (2) creating relationships and understanding in communities and society, and (3) promoting and developing quality of life for elderly target populations.

Recommendations include: 1) The Department of Older Persons Affairs should delegate to Elderly Quality of Life Development and Career Promotion Centers (EQLDCPCs) to implement quality of life promotion activities for elderly and LGBT elderly to ensure social equality, 2) The Department of Women’s Affairs and Family Development should assign Family Development Centers (FDCs) to collaborate with the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) to implement family learning activities on equal treatment of family members, building relationships and understanding, accepting families with gender diversity, and adding curriculum on family acceptance and understanding of gender diversity to the Family School program, and 3) Future research should expand the sample scope to study elderly LGBT living situations across broader social and cultural contexts affecting LGBT elderly lives more comprehensively.

The Role of Community Social Workers in Designing Play Programs to Promote Innovative Exercise (Pocket Park): A Case Study of Bueng Yitho Municipality, Pathum Thani Province

2025-07-31T13:58:19+07:00

Healthy Aging is a process in which older adults are able to develop and maintain their ability to perform daily life activities through participatory approaches, where community members collaborate to create an environment suitable for all age groups. This article focuses on presenting the significant role of community social workers in designing and promoting innovative exercise programs, commonly known as Pocket Parks, using the six-step play program design framework as the main conceptual framework.The objective of the study is to examine the role of community social workers in designing play programs to promote innovative exercise (Pocket Park). The research methods include field practice, interviews with older adults, and observation of the use of innovative exercise equipment (Pocket Park). The roles of community social workers in promoting innovative exercise consist of two main aspects: The role in play program design, which includes: 1) Raising awareness and promoting self-care through exercise
2) Developing manuals and demonstrating the use of exercise equipment 3) Conducting physical fitness assessments 4) Practical implementation and recording of exercise activities 5) Organizing small group discussions and group activities and 6) Reflecting on practice, identifying obstacles, and providing continuous encouragement. The role in interdisciplinary teamwork, working alongside physiotherapists and recreation specialists. A key role in promoting enabling factors includes: raising awareness of risks, forming support groups, providing knowledge about equipment use, and creating an appropriate social environment. These are essential factors leading to behavioral change among older adults. Consequently, play programs are of great importance. Key recommendations: Local administrative organizations should encourage interdisciplinary teamwork in play program design, giving emphasis to the role of social workers. Knowledge-sharing activities, guidelines, and communication should be provided to highlight the benefits of exercise equipment, thereby promoting proper and accurate awareness. Furthermore, service provision should be integrated into the operations of local administrative organizations by assigning coaches—such as municipal staff, community leaders, or volunteers—to serve as facilitators who encourage appropriate use of equipment, provide consultation and guidance, and supervise for safety and risk reduction during exercise.

Application of Art Therapy in Environmental Modification to Enhance Quality of Life for Older Persons at End-of-Life: A Case Study of the ‘Flower Garden’ Elderly Care Room Project

2025-07-24T09:58:42+07:00

This academic article presents the application of art therapy through the project “Flower Garden in the Elderly Ward,” an innovative approach to environmental modification aimed at enhancing the quality of life of bedridden and end-of-life older persons. Preliminary observations indicated that many older adults faced spatial limitations and psychological distress due to environments lacking aesthetic stimulation. Environmental modifications incorporating artistic elements, such as floral photographs and ceiling paintings depicting the sky, were found to reduce stress and promote a sense of relaxation.

Data collected from 38 patients revealed that those residing in art-enhanced wards (n = 7) demonstrated a marked reduction in analgesic use, whereas patients in non-modified wards (n = 31) continued high levels of medication consumption, with an average cost of 67.50 THB per person per month. Additionally, two patients with psychiatric conditions in the modified wards showed significant symptomatic improvement, reduced psychotropic medication usage, and decreased monthly injection costs by an average of 154 THB per person. Improvements in sleep quality, including deeper and more restorative sleep, were also observed in the intervention group.

The project further highlights the role of participatory engagement within the framework of a “Compassionate Community,” fostering supportive networks grounded in love and empathy. The findings underscore that integrating art therapy with positive environmental design can sustainably reduce medication dependency and enhance the overall quality of life for end-of-life older persons.

Keywords: Environmental Modification, End-of-Life Older Persons, Quality of Life

Aging Society and Longevity Society: Approaches to Future Service Development

2025-08-13T14:46:07+07:00

Thailand entered the aging society phase in 2005 and became a complete aging society in 2023. It is projected to become a super-aged society by 2040. Currently, there are 13.7 million older adults, accounting for 20.8% of the total population, with 40,460 centenarians. The average life expectancy stands at 78.1 years. These demographic trends pose significant challenges to the economic, social, and welfare systems, necessitating comprehensive planning to address them. A key development strategy involves setting policy goals aligned with the concept of active aging, alongside shifting societal perceptions of older adults and related services. Future service provision should align with the concept of "aging in place," allowing older persons to safely and independently remain in their homes or communities. Furthermore, the integration of welfare technology presents a crucial innovation to support service delivery in the years ahead.

Keywords: Ageing Society, Longevity society, Development, Services, Future

The Occupational Development for the Elderly by the Community Participation in Strengthening the grass root Economy of the poor suburban communities in Bangkok.

2025-06-19T10:54:19+07:00

The objectives of this research were to 1) analyze the occupational situation of the elderly in the suburban poor community of Lat Krabang, Bangkok 2) develop the occupational group for the elderly by the community participation by develop format and the production system, the sales distribution, and the management for the elderly occupational group in the communities. This research used the community-based research methodology. The focus was on encouraging the community members to be the researchers, and using the participatory approach in managing the research project from the upstream, the midstream to the downstream. According to the research findings on the occupational situation of poor suburban communities in Lat Krabang revealed that the community members used to have the local wisdom for culinary, but has now been extinct. Regarding the occupational promotion and development guideline for the elderly in the community, it consisted of the potential and the competency development for the elderly members of the occupational group in poor suburban communities. In terms of the development of the elderly occupational group with the community participation, it was participated by people from three stages of life, these were elderly, middle-aged, and youth. In order to develop the format and the production system, the sales distribution, and the management for the occupational group of the elderly in the community, it had to delegate duties and responsibilities according to the organization structure, for example: the divisions of purchasing, raw materials and production, accounting and finance, online and offline marketing.

Keywords: Occupational Development for the Elderly with Participation, Strengthening Grassroots Economy, Suburban Poor Communities

Book Review

2025-06-30T10:06:38+07:00

The Routledge International Handbook to Welfare State Systems is so valuable for students and Scholars in Social Policy.