Equity Evaluation of Elderly-Care Institutions Based on Ga2SFCA: The Case Study of Jinan, China

Abstract

With the deepening trend of aging, the issue of elderly care for the aging population has become a matter of concern for all sectors of society. Elderly-care services have become increasingly vital. Elderly-care institutions, a major component of the elderly-care system, are an important part of public facility resource provision; the spatial distribution of elderly-care institutions (ECIs) directly affects the equitable access of the elderly to public resources. To cope with the current pressure of population aging and limited resources for the elderly, this study aims to explore the relationship between population aging and the supply of ECIs in Jinan, China. Using the ArcGIS platform, this study analyzes the spatial allocation of ECIs, provides improved supply capacity modelling of ECIs based on the Gaussian Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Approach (Ga2SFCA), and evaluates the equity of ECIs in terms of accessibility, supply–demand equity, and spatial equity. The results show that there are large differences in spatial accessibility between different levels of ECIs, there is a mismatch of supply and demand, the number and size of existing ECIs do not meet the needs of the elderly, and the distribution of resources in small ECIs is highly inequitable. These results can provide a guiding direction for optimizing ECIs and urban road network planning and can also provide new insights for urban planners to assess the equity of public service facilities.