Technology adoption among long-term care workers in South Korea moderates the relationship between job stress and turnover intention, suggesting that accessible tools can buffer occupational stress and improve retention in demanding care roles. This finding has direct implications for workforce stability in aging-care settings where burnout drives professional exodus.
Key Points
- AgeTech adoption reduces stress-driven turnover intention in care workers
- Job stress remains present but less predictive of departure when tools adopted
- Workforce retention depends partly on technological support accessibility
Longevity Analysis
The quality of long-term care directly affects health outcomes for aging populations — staffing stability and worker wellbeing determine the quality of that care. When job stress drives experienced workers from the field, institutional knowledge and continuity of care suffer, reducing the quality of support available to residents. Technologies that reduce cognitive load, streamline administrative burden, or improve communication between care teams address a critical but often overlooked determinant of care quality. This research identifies a modifiable factor: not eliminating stress itself, but providing workers with tools that prevent stress from becoming the primary driver of departure. In systems already stretched thin, retaining experienced practitioners through technological support becomes a leverage point for sustained, higher-quality care delivery.
Original published by SAGE Research on Aging, by Nam Hwa Kim, Hye Ri Shin, Yeo Min Han, Jae Hyeok Choi, Young Sun Kim1Department of Gerontology, AgeTech-Service Convergence Major, 26723Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.