Impact of the Elderly Club on the Social Well‐Being of the Rural Elderly in the Northeastern Region of Thailand

Abstract Thailand's aging population is increasing and tends to be concentrated in rural areas. Currently, the Thai Government is concerned with providing for sustained social welfare for the aging population. Policy will recommend the implementation of an elderly club in all sub‐districts, places where older persons in the local area can gather and enjoy social activities. The purpose of this research is to assess the effects of the availability of such social services on the quality of life of the elderly in the Northeastern region of Thailand. Quality of life of the elderly depends on many disciplinary factors, including health, social, finance, basic needs, and secure environment. The livelihood framework is used as a model to study and measure constructively the quality of life of the rural elderly. Subjective well‐being is utilized for quantifying and comparing the quality of life of the active and non‐active members of the elderly club. The findings were drawn from surveying the satisfaction of the elderly regarding their well‐being. Semi‐structured interviews were also conducted with the stakeholders related to establishing and organizing the activities for the elderly club. The result has shown that older persons who are members of an active elderly club have higher social subjective well‐being. However, for the elderly club to be effective, it must have strong leadership and meaningful collaboration among related stakeholders. In addition, the community must recognize the value of nurturing the well‐being of the elderly in order to maintain an active club that enhances the quality of life of the elderly in the rural area.