On 24 April 2017, the School of Nursing at MFU held a special lecture on enhancing the quality of health of older people and the trends of research on challenging aging issues. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Linchong Pothiban from the Center for Research and Innovation in Elderly Care at the Faculty of Nursing at Chiang Mai University was the keynote speaker of this lecture.
Dean of the School of Nursing Assoc. Prof. Supranee Athaseri stated that the objective of this lecture was to prepare MFU executives and lecturers for an aging society in Thailand. The lecture provided guidelines for administration, operation, and research areas of the center for elderly care. The guidelines will serve as the foundation for the establishment of the Center of Excellence at MFU in the future.
Assoc. Prof. Supranee added that presently lecturers at the School of Nursing are conducting research on older persons in the Chiang Rai province, and their research focuses on chronic diseases such as diabetes and coronary artery disease. Moreover, the School of Nursing also prepares students for an aging society through an intensive nursing curriculum in which students are educated and learn lessons from professionals caring for people of all ages including older people. To gain practicum experiences, there also are activities for nursing students to visit and provide health services for elderly persons in community.
Overall, this lecture reflected that several relevant organizations in Thailand including universities are working together in preparation to support and improve health services for senior citizens, who are recognized as valuable resources of the nation.
