Stakeholder Differences in Preferences for Adult Day Care Center Site and Building Design Features

Abstract

Aim

To compare the perspectives of two stakeholder groups, adult day care center (ADCC) managers and family members of older adults with disabilities or dementia, regarding ADCC site and building design features.

Background

The ADCCs provide community-based services for older adults with disabilities or dementia and support family caregivers. Different stakeholder groups, including managers and family caregivers, may have varying views on the planning and design of health facilities. However, little is known about how managers and family members differ in their views on ADCC planning and design.

Methods

We adopted a cross-sectional exploratory design across Taiwan. Ten site selection factors and eight building design factors were used to construct an analytic hierarchy process questionnaire. A total of 81 managers and 59 family members were included, and the data were collected using one-on-one interviews. Pairwise comparisons between factors were conducted to obtain the eigenvectors (priority weights), and weight differences between the managers and family members were calculated using t-tests.

Results

Managers placed higher importance on community attitudes and governmental support, while family members emphasized access to health services, transportation, and public safety. In building design, family members valued clearer spatial visibility, whereas managers placed relatively greater emphasis on temperature control.

Conclusions

Managers and family members of service users weighed site and building design factors differently, especially in the domains related to “support and attitudes” and “services, systems, and policies.” These findings highlight important differences between these two stakeholder groups and provide critical insights for the planning and design of ADCCs.