To understand the current status of elderly care models in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province from the perspective of the residents living together, and to analyze the influencing factors.

From July to August 2023, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 699 elderly individuals in Liangshan Prefecture. Chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to explore the influencing factors of elderly care models, and Firth regression was employed for sensitivity analysis.

Among the 699 individuals, 373 (53.4%) lived only with their partners, 211 (30.2%) lived with their children, 82 (11.7%) lived alone, and 33 (4.7%) resided in elderly care institutions. The elderly who lived with their children had the highest satisfaction with their living arrangements (H=29.468, P<0.001). The multivariate analysis results indicated that, compared with those living with their children, elderly individuals whose children did not provide daily care were more likely to choose to live only with their partners (OR=33.96, 95%CI:10.45-110.35;the wide confidence interval indicates an exploratory finding) or to live alone or in an institution (OR=21.85, 95%CI:8.44-56.53). Similarly, those whose children did not provide financial support were also more likely to choose to live only with their partners (OR=3.03, 95%CI:1.69-5.43) or to live alone or in an institution (OR=10.99, 95%CI:4.88-24.78). Moreover, the influence of children’s provision of daily care on the elderly’s choice of living only with a partner was greater than that of financial support, as the lower bound of the 95%CI for the OR of daily care (10.45) exceeded the upper bound of the 95%CI for the OR of financial support (5.43).

The elderly care model in Liangshan Prefecture is mainly based on living with a partner or children, and the elderly who live with their children have the highest satisfaction. The daily care and financial support provided by children are important factors influencing the elderly care model in this area. The daily care provided by children has a greater impact than financial support.