DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES OF PROACTIVE OPERATIONAL COMPETENCIES OF VILLAGE HEALTH VOLUNTEERS FOR COPING WITH AGING SOCIETY IN NAKHONPATHOM PROVINCE, THAILAND

Abstract

Village Health Volunteers have been intended to be leaders, who acquired socially acceptable, play a role in developing of primary cares and life being of people in their village or community. However, the assigned roles have been intended to handle with reactive operation preferably. Hench, the objective of this paper aims to propose development guideline of proactive operational competencies of village health volunteers for coping with aging society in Nakhon Pathom province. This research was employed qualitative research to diagnose the required indicators. Key informants including 1) Village Health Volunteer (VHV) 2) District Public Health Officer 3) Chief of Provincial Administrative Organizations 4) Director of National Health Security Office, District 5 5) Director of Primary Health Care Division, Ministry of Public Health, a total of 15 key informants. The results found 6 significant indicators that peculiarly related with consequence of development guidelines of proactive operational competencies of the volunteers which are 1) providing applicable training courses for the volunteers. 2) The volunteers should be equipped with contextually appropriate practices to effectively apply their skills in the field. 3) establishing of facilitated working environment for the volunteers, and besides, supportive of access to required data base and allocate adequate resources. 4) give the opportunity to the volunteers in order to express recommendations and participate with outright decision. Moreover, knowledge sharing among village health volunteers should be arranged. 5) frequently evaluating and tracking work progressions. 6) Establishing collaboration among public health units and other organizations for supporting the volunteer’s proactive operations.