ACTION RESEARCH TO START NEW SERVICES AND EXPAND ROLES FOR MONGOLIAN OLDER ADULTS

Abstract

The older adult group consists of 962 million people worldwide, representing 13% of the total world population. This number is projected to double by 2050 and triple by 2100, reaching three billion older adults. However, the number of older people in less developed countries is projected to increase by more than 250%, compared to only 71% in developed countries by 2050. Mongolia, a developing country with three million people, currently has a low percentage of senior citizens in its overall population (about 7%), yet this is projected to triple to about 19% of the population by 2050. This change is due, in part, to increasing life expectancy, from 48 years in 1960 to almost 70 years today. Yet, the retirement age in most sectors is unchanged, 60 years for men and 55 years for women. Thus, older Mongolians are spending more years in retirement, and many are struggling to find meaningful activities after retirement, including socialization and work opportunities. There is gap in the research about Mongolian older adult’s service development because these services and opportunities are limited. I helped to create some of the first senior services in Mongolia, using an action research framework, and this model should be examined for transferability to other low- and middle-income countries and for expanding services in Mongolia. My research question is “How can an action research strategy be useful in the development of new services, particularly senior centers and employment opportunities, and expand roles for Mongolian older adults?” The objective of my dissertation is to produce a single, holistic case study on the efforts of Quality Life NGO and Prost LLC to develop low-cost senior services in Mongolia by using the action research strategy. I described and compared the two pilot services developed under the initiative, examining their reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance using RE-AIM framework, and examining roles adapted by older adults using these services. Developed first were senior centers for purposes of socialization, and the second were employment options including a laundry business that employs older adults. Both services are located in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. I conducted a secondary analysis of existing data collected in 2015 and 2019 and collaborated with Quality Life NGO and Prost LLC to collect additional data in 2021 to document the planning, implementation, observation, and reflection phases of the action research model. Case study findings suggest that the Quality Life NGO and its partners contributed to expanding services and opportunities for Mongolian seniors. Findings also point out the challenges faced in developing and sustaining services in an under-resourced country facing rapid growth in its older-adult population. This case study may become a reference for public and private sector organizations in other developing countries that are preparing for a significant increase in their older adult population. The study provides a tangible example of solving a practical problem using the action research strategy.