More than half of municipal residents in Eskilstuna, Sweden, are receptive to receiving future eldercare through health and welfare technology, according to a survey assessing public expectations for municipal services fifteen years ahead. The research established that personal independence is an overwhelming priority across the community, with ninety-six percent of surveyed individuals identifying independence as important to them. At the same time, a majority of respondents expressed positive sentiments toward the ongoing digital transformation taking place within the eldercare sector. However, openness toward technology-assisted care is not uniformly distributed throughout the public, revealing clear disparities when analyzed across different age brackets and educational backgrounds.
The study was designed to investigate residents’ attitudes and beliefs concerning how municipal eldercare should be provided in the future, paying particular attention to the prospective role of health and welfare technology in satisfying evolving care requirements. Eldercare systems are currently undergoing digital transformations that offer older adults novel ways of accessing and receiving support.
To collect community perspectives, the researchers surveyed a total of 979 residents in the municipality of Eskilstuna in 2024, asking participants to reflect on their anticipated eldercare needs and preferences for the year 2039. The survey sample was structured across three distinct adult demographic tiers: individuals aged 18 to 30 years, those aged 31 to 64 years, and older adults aged 65 to 84 years. The questionnaire gathered data regarding participants’ views on personal independence, their openness to utilizing health and welfare technology, and relevant sociodemographic characteristics. The investigators then applied descriptive statistical methods and Pearson’s chi-square tests to analyze independence and evaluate variations in attitudes toward health and welfare technology according to age category and level of education.
The statistical results demonstrated notable differences in technology acceptance across age cohorts. While sixty-five percent of middle-aged respondents aged 31 to 64 held positive attitudes toward receiving future municipal eldercare support via health and welfare technology, acceptance was significantly lower among older adults aged 65 to 84, where fifty-seven percent reported a positive stance. Even with this lower overall enthusiasm among the oldest demographic group, technology was not rejected outright for intimate or continuous monitoring needs. Specifically, approximately thirty percent of respondents in the 65 to 84 age group indicated that they would prefer support delivered by health and welfare technology for personal hygiene tasks and night supervision.
Attitudes toward technological assistance also varied substantially based on educational attainment. Respondents with lower levels of education were considerably less supportive of health and welfare technology, with forty-nine percent expressing positive views, compared to sixty-five percent among participants with higher educational credentials. Despite this gap, a substantial portion of respondents with lower education favored technology for certain hands-on care functions: between twenty-four percent and thirty-two percent of those in the lower education group preferred health and welfare technology for personal hygiene and night supervision.
In discussing the theoretical implications of these findings within the Technology Acceptance Model, the authors noted that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use may be important factors governing whether individuals hold positive attitudes toward health and welfare technology. Overall, older adults and respondents with lower educational attainment exhibited less positive attitudes toward future eldercare provided by technology compared to middle-aged participants and those with higher education. The researchers explicitly noted that physical frailty was not assessed as part of the survey. Nevertheless, they concluded that the results remain pertinent to frailty prevention strategies, as health and welfare technology holds the potential to support independence, safety, and functional ability in later life.
Subject of Research: Public attitudes toward health and welfare technology in future municipal eldercare
Article Title: Attitudes and beliefs regarding future municipal eldercare needs: health and welfare technology or whom do I want support from when I need it?
Article References: Tiikkaja, S., Olsson, S., & Gustafsson, C. (2026). Attitudes and beliefs regarding future municipal eldercare needs: health and welfare technology or whom do I want support from when I need it?. Frontiers in Public Health, 14, Article 1924096. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1924096
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1924096
Keywords: eldercare, health and welfare technology, digital transformation, Technology Acceptance Model, aging, care preferences, municipal care, social differences, Attitudes, beliefs, regarding, future
News Source: Courtney Benton. (November 12, 2026). Swedish Survey Highlights Age and Education Differences in Eldercare Technology Acceptance. Scienmag.
