Generational Differences and Demand Preferences for Elder Care Services: A Longitudinal Study in China

The evolving landscape of societal values, living habits, cognitive frameworks, and behavioral patterns across different generations shapes preferences for elder care services. This study explores generational diversities in elder care preferences among Chinese older adults. By utilizing Latent Class Analysis, four distinct types of elder care service demands were identified: Low Demand, Daily Convenience Service Demand, Social and Mental Health Care Demand, and High Demand. A multi-state Markov model was employed to construct a micro-simulation predicting the population size of older adults with varying care preferences in urban and rural areas from 2020 to 2040. Results indicate that living in rural areas and lacking a pension decreases the likelihood of moving from Low Demand to High Demand for elder care services. This study highlights the pivotal impact of generational and regional factors on elder care demand in China. Findings underscore the need to account for the growing demand for services, especially in social and mental health care, and tailored service provision.