Leveraging Geographic Information Big Data for Assessing Elderly Care Facility Accessibility: A Dongguan City Case Analysis

As the global population continues to age, the strategic placement of elderly care facilities becomes increasingly important for the fulfillment of the Healthy China initiative and ensuring a healthy and supportive lifestyle for the senior demographic. This paper focuses on the Point of Interest (POI) data of Dongguan City'selderly care facilities to examine their spatial distribution, hotspot clusters, and service accessibility. Utilizing a range of analytical techniques, including kernel density, hotspot, and accessibility analyses, the study uncovers several key findings: 1) Dongguan City'selderly care facilities exhibit a notable clustering tendency, predominantly located near residential zones, major transportation routes, and commercial hubs; 2) Two pronounced hotspots for these institutions have emerged across the city, with no significant cold spots detected; 3) Despite a generally high accessibility level for elderly care facilities in Dongguan City, there are considerable internal variations, forming a strip-like distribution; 4) A comparative analysis indicates a misalignment between the distribution of elderly care facilities and the elderly population in Dongguan City.