A Comprehensive Review on the Role of Promoting Elderly Care Sustainability by Smart Village—Facilities Integration through Construction of a Public Service Field with Introduction of Fall Posture Monitoring

In recent years, rural communities in China have been actively exploring a novel approach to elderly care that integrates treatment with health preservation. For instance, in 2018, the number of licensed physicians and registered nurses per 1000 people in rural areas was significantly lower than in urban areas, indicating a shortage of medical professionals. This study aims to contribute to the sustainable development of rural elderly care by introducing smart technology, specifically fall posture monitoring, into public services and facilities within rural communities. There are two main types of intelligent technologies used for monitoring the health of elderly individuals in their living environments: vision-based human activity recognition (HAR) and sensor-based HAR. Additionally, the focus of this study is on addressing a critical issue in elderly medical care: the timely feedback and treatment of falls. To begin, we conducted a comprehensive review of the current status and challenges associated with the application of fall posture monitoring technology. Additionally, we examined the environmental factors that contribute to the risk of falls in public spaces for the elderly. These assessments serve as the technical and environmental foundation for developing the proposed service framework. Our research was conducted from two primary perspectives: the supply of service resources that combine treatment with health preservation and the identification of risk factors associated with outdoor public spaces in the community where falls are likely to occur. Data for this study were collected through behavior mapping and field interviews. In conclusion, we presented a constructive logic for the development of a public service field that effectively combines treatment with health preservation. This logic encompasses the integration of technology applications, resource coordination, and improvements to the physical environment. The findings from this study provide a scientific basis for the construction of public service fields in “smart villages” and serve as practical references for similar villages striving to adopt this innovative model. This approach has the potential to improve the quality of care for elderly individuals in rural communities and promote the integration of medical treatment and care. By leveraging the insights gained from this research, it is expected that rural communities would be better equipped to address the challenges of elderly care and facilitate the widespread adoption of this integrated care model.