The Development of a Community Network Management Model toward an Active Aging Society

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) investigate the development of elderly potential; 2) examine the operational challenges in enhancing the potential of the elderly conducted by the Elderly Quality of Life Development and Career Promotion Center (EQDCC) and the Elderly School (ES); and 3) develop a community network management model toward an active aging society. Data were collected from elderly people using quota sampling by questionnaire, totaling 1,250 people., 16 committee members from EQDCC and ES, and 32 stakeholders through participatory workshops using a purposive sampling. In addition, 17 experts were involved in model evaluation. The data were analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation, and content analysis.

The findings revealed that: 1) the development of elderly potential primarily focused on physical health, emotional, and mental well-being; 2) the major problems in the development process included discontinuity in the activities organized by EQDCC, lack of transportation for participants, and limited availability of committee members to manage the ES; and 3) the proposed management model for community networks toward an active aging society is based on four core principles: 1) responsiveness to the dynamics of the aging population, 2) integration, 3) learning and improvement, and 4) sustainability. The model incorporates input factors such as stakeholder networks, budgets, and materials/equipment, and operational processes grounded in: 1) management principles, 2) participatory approaches, 3) network development, 4) activity organization, and 5) potential development. The evaluation results of the model showed high and highest levels of appropriateness and feasibility in all aspects.