Research on the Multi-Actor Collaborative Governance Model in the Smart Elderly Care Service System

Abstract

With the acceleration of global population aging, traditional elderly care models are increasingly unable to meet the growing and diverse needs of the elderly. The rapid development of information and communication technologies has given rise to the emerging paradigm of "smart elderly care," which aims to provide precise health management and daily care through intelligent technologies and data-driven approaches. However, the success of smart elderly care is not merely a matter of technological accumulation; its core lies in constructing an efficient and sustainable service provision and governance system. From the perspective of public management, this study focuses on the "multi-actor collaborative governance" model within the smart elderly care service system. It first defines the connotations of smart elderly care and collaborative governance, and constructs a theoretical analysis framework of "actors-interaction-mechanism-environment." Subsequently, it systematically analyzes the roles, positioning, and interactive relationships of key actors, including the government, market, social organizations, communities, and families. Through case studies of three typical models-government-led, market-driven, and community-embedded-the study reveals the operational logic and limitations of different models. In response to current challenges in collaborative governance, such as coordination failure, service fragmentation, the digital divide, and data security, this paper proposes six countermeasures and suggestions: strengthening top-level design, building a unified data platform, cultivating a tiered service market, bridging the digital divide, and improving the legal and ethical framework. The aim is to provide theoretical and practical references for building an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable smart elderly care service system.