Community institution utilization and awareness of elderly welfare services: The moderating role of information-use difficulties

This study aimed to examine whether difficulties in information use were associated with differences in awareness of social welfare services, even among older adults who were exposed to service-related information through institutional contacts. This study utilized data from the 2020 National Survey of Older Koreans, focusing on individuals aged 65 and older. Regression analysis was employed to test the research hypotheses. The results showed that older adults who made greater use of community institutions and experienced fewer difficulties in using information were more likely to be aware of elderly welfare services. Moreover, the relationship between the use of community institutions and awareness of welfare services was moderated by the level of difficulty in using information. Specifically, as difficulties in information-use increased, the positive relationship of community institution use with welfare service awareness decreased. These findings suggest that even when older adults use community institutions, the benefits they gain may vary depending on their ability to use information. Therefore, it is recommended that community institutions actively promote elderly welfare services and implement customized information delivery strategies tailored to the needs of older adults.