Research On The Willingness Of Elderly Care And Care Needs Of The Elderly In The Community

The increasing trend of aging in China has become a pressing concern for policy makers,who are striving to establish a comprehensive and effective social pension model.This study responds to these needs by conducting a survey among 465 elderly individuals in Hangzhou,focusing on their willingness to provide care within the community and their care needs.We began with a systematic review of 13 relevant studies and developed a questionnaire based on our findings,including 5 first-level indicators and 20 secondlevel indicators.Our survey yielded 449 valid responses,which we analyzed using logistic tests,logistic regression analysis,and intermediary effect analysis of classified variables.Our analysis aimed to reveal the current state of elderly individuals’ willingness to receive care and their care needs within the community,as well as to compare differences in care needs among those with different pension wishes.Additionally,we explored the relationship between pension wishes and care needs,ultimately providing valuable data to inform the establishment of an effective social pension model.Our analysis yielded several important findings.Firstly,70.82% of elderly individuals in the Hangzhou community preferred community home care while 29.18%of them preferred institution-based care,which was higher than five years ago.Secondly,elderly individuals who were female,highly educated,without sons,and had poor physical health were more likely to choose institution-based care.Thirdly,among those willing to live in the community,the demand rate for various care needs was not high,with the highest demand being for health management at a rate of 43.7%.In contrast,the demand rate for various care needs among those willing to receive institution-based care was relatively high,with the highest demand being for living assistance at a rate of 73.3%.Finally,regarding the four main needs of elderly individuals in the community,with willingness to receive care as the dependent variable,safety needs(including health management,living assistance,and security monitoring)significantly mediated the age factor,whereas love and belonging needs(including emotional comfort)had no significant influence.Based on the above results,we proposed a resource-sharing differentiated care service supply model to meet the needs of community elderly care services.The model includes a mutual assistance pension mechanism(such as "mutual assistance between Elderly and Youth","mutual assistance between Elderly",and "mutual assistance between Elderly and Society"),multi-party cooperation to improve the health literacy of the elderly,and the construction of a "digital and intelligent" comprehensive elderly care service system to meet the needs of community elderly care services.We also provided a list of community elderly care services for reference.In summary,this study could promote the construction and development of aging care in Hangzhou and provide data support for the construction of an age-friendly society.