Chinese urban patient bed design for home care through the lens of culture, evolving care giving, architecture and home interiors

Abstract:The growing elderly population in China, combined with elders’ preference for home-basedcare, highlights the need to understand in situ caregiving practices. This study employs a secondaryvisual ethnography, analysing Chinese films and videos alongside scientific literature. Findings showthat patient beds function as sites of filial piety, family bonding, and evolving caregiving practices,while also influencing furniture placement and spatial organization in urban homes. These insightsinform new directions for culturally sensitive Chinese patient bed design. This study proposes aframework for technologically, culturally and spatially informed patient bed design not yetaddressed in current Chinese literature.