Multi-Dimensional Accessibility Barriers in Care Services for the Rural Elderly with Disabilities: A Qualitative Study in China

Yuan Wang and Caiyun Qi
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Yuan Wang: Department of Labor and Social Security, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
Caiyun Qi: Department of Labor and Social Security, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: This research covers a multi-dimensional investigation into accessibility barriers in care services for older people with disabilities in rural China. In-depth interviews with 13 rural disabled older people in China were conducted using qualitative methods. Based on a welfare pluralism approach, the results showed that in comparison with urban areas, care services for disabled older populations in rural areas are more subject to social barriers. This can be seen in the limited state (lack of resources, rigorous eligibility qualifications, uneven distribution, and irregular implementation); the absent market (low levels of consumption, high cost pressures, self-exclusion, and traditional cultural constraints); absent NGOs and volunteers (difficulties in access for NGOs and volunteers outside the area and formation difficulties of local NGOs and volunteers); as well as low-quality care in households and communities (unprofessional care from the spouse, unsustainable care from children, and unavailable community-based care). A multi-subject support network should be established to remove accessibility barriers to care services for older people with disabilities in rural areas through active intervention and interaction. The results of the research provide insights that will aid in the formulation of future social care service plans and health policies for rural older people with disabilities.

Keywords: rural elderly with disabilities; care services; accessibility barriers; welfare pluralism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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