Revolutionizing elderly care: Building a healthier aging society through innovative long-term care systems and assessing the long-term care acceptance model

Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2024 May;24(5):477-485. doi: 10.1111/ggi.14856. Epub 2024 Apr 7.

Abstract

Aim: With a growing elderly population, the demand for caregivers is increasing in Khon Kaen, Thailand, with approximately 17 000 elderly residents. This growing number of older people and a shortage of caregivers could overload the healthcare system.

Methods: The present study involved 129 healthcare volunteers (caregivers for questionnaires study) and the collection of health data from 290 elderly residents from northeastern Thailand. After training, the volunteers assessed its usefulness through questionnaires. Tool reliability and statistical hypotheses were tested using stratified regression analysis (hierarchical regression) and multiple regression.

Results: The relative mean scores of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward usage and behavioral intention to use technology were 4.51, 4.29, 4.44 and 4.41, respectively. In addition, perceived usefulness and user attitudes positively affected volunteers' willingness to use the system.

Conclusion: The study was developed from the awareness of enhancing community quality and ecosystem through a long-term care system application. Analyzing external factors can enhance technology's future effectiveness. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 477-485.

Keywords: elderly people; long‐term care (LTC) system; technology acceptance model.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Caregivers / psychology
  • Female
  • Health Services for the Aged
  • Healthy Aging
  • Humans
  • Long-Term Care*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Thailand