Needs and attitudes of friendly Chinese restaurant among older adults: Results from a pilot study

Abstract

With the coming of the aging society, attention has gradually focused on the various problems that elderly people encounter in their lives as a result of their various needs. Herein, the concept that “food is the first need of the people” illustrates the difficulties and demands that issues related to “food and drink” cause in the lives of older adults. Currently however, the dining environments of Taiwan’s restaurants are not accommodating to the elderly, and because of the decline in their physical and psychological functions, elderly people are reluctant to dine in them. For some elderly people with restricted movement, dining in restaurants is extremely difficult. For this reason, the primary purpose of this study is to explore ways in which restaurants can provide friendly service and caring dining environments. The research sample in this study is comprised of Chinese style restaurants in Taiwan, and the research methods include individual interviews, and focus groups. The research recruited elderly people as the target user. Surveys and analyses were conducted to develop an understanding of how to construct dining services that are accommodating to elderly people to propose design guidelines to improve restaurant dining environments and service quality. The results of this study indicate that when elderly people dine in restaurants, their most pressing needs are related to their motor functions. In the context of the gradually declining physical abilities of elderly people, they are faced with an increased number of restrictions and problems in restaurant spaces. Furthermore, regarding their service needs, elderly people place the greatest importance on their perception of cognitive attitude; therefore, the restaurant’s dining environment and service attitude should be carefully considered. Furthermore, attempts should be made to reduce the burdens faced by elderly people before they encounter difficulties. This will be the most helpful for elderly people and is an important indicator of an elderly friendly restaurant.