Technology and Care for the Elderly in Rural Areas and Its Incorporation into Public Policies

The significant aging of rural areas has highlighted the need to find increasingly efficient care systems for the elderly. In this context, technological devices for care emerge strongly as a feasible solution to maintain the well-being of the elderly. In this article, we address the perspective of mayors and councilors of rural municipalities in Extremadura (Spain) characterized by a high level of socio-aging on the technological devices that can be incorporated into the care services for the aging in their localities. Fieldwork was carried out in 10 municipalities where 14 mayors and councilors were interviewed and direct observation of the operation of care services. The results show the lack of knowledge of this type of technology on the part of political leaders, the low level of implementation in municipal resources, the main obstacles to its adoption, and the high expectations and interest in introducing it in the services of their municipalities. The article highlights the need for institutional support to develop programs to facilitate the technologization of care in the rural world.