Abstract:
Village health volunteer is an essential resource in the long-term care system for persons with dementia. This descriptive correlational research aimed to describe care readiness and to determine factors related to the care readiness for persons with dementia among village health volunteers. Multistage random sampling was used to recruit 240 village health volunteers who perform duties in Chonburi province. Data was carried out from November 2019 to January 2020. Research instruments were the questionnaires including the care knowledge (KuderRichardson = 0.63), the care role perception, the caring attitude, the care role support, and the care readiness (Cronbachs alpha coefficients were 0.72-0.97). Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation statistics were performed to analyze the data. The results revealed that the care readiness for persons with dementia of participants in overall was rated at a high level (M = 72.08, SD = 13.26, Madj= 3.60). When considering each aspect, it was found that all readiness aspects were rated at a high level; except for assessing health needs and establishing a database aspects were rated at a moderate level. Factors that positively correlated with the care readiness for persons with dementia among participants were the care role perception (r= .67, p< .001), the care role support. (r= .52, p< .001), the care attitude (r= .34, p< .001), perceived health status (r = .17, p< .01) These findings suggest that nurse and other health personnel should develop the program to promote the care readiness for persons with dementia in among village health volunteers through increasing the care role perception, the caring attitude, the care, as well as promoting the care role support, especially in those perceived poor health status. Consequently, readiness care would be improved to enhance the quality of care for persons with dementia.