TITLE:
Survey Research on Smart Elderly Service in Some Rural Areas of Henan Province
AUTHORS:
Xiaojing Liu
KEYWORDS:
Smart Old-Age Care, Rural Old-Age Security, Service Demand, Degree of Fit
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Applied Sociology,
Vol.14 No.11,
November
12,
2024
ABSTRACT: Purpose/Significance: With the aging population problem becoming increasingly prominent, how to effectively improve the quality of life for rural elderly people has become a focus of social concern. Smart aging, as a new type of aging service, has the potential to provide solutions. However, the penetration rate and usage of smart aging services in rural areas are not ideal. Therefore, this study aims to explore the understanding and use of smart aging services among rural elderly people through field investigation, analyze their needs and influencing factors, and provide basis for policy formulation and service optimization. Methods/Process: This study adopts grounded theory, the theory of hierarchy of needs, and the theory of social support as theoretical perspectives, and combines interview method and questionnaire method to conduct a survey and data collection on elderly people in some rural areas of Henan Province. During the research process, in-depth interviews were conducted to explore the elderly’s understanding and needs of smart aging services, and a questionnaire survey was conducted to quantify their understanding, usage, and hierarchy of needs. The sample covers multiple rural areas to ensure the representativeness and reliability of the data. Results/Conclusion: The study found that the understanding and use of smart aging services by rural elderly people are both low. Among various needs, emotional comfort and social needs are the most prominent, followed by daily living care and medical and health needs. The study also shows that economic factors and difficulties in using smart products are important factors affecting the elderly’s use of smart aging services. In general, the popularization of smart aging services is closely related to the elderly’s economic conditions and acceptance of technology. It is necessary to strengthen the top-level design of smart aging services, vigorously publicize the services provided by smart aging, develop smart aging products that meet the needs of the elderly population, and improve the degree of fit between smart aging services and the elderly to meet the diverse needs of elderly people for aging services.