由於平均壽命的延長，使得罹患慢性病與功能障礙的老人越來越多，且近年來因家庭照護功能減弱，部份家庭已無法承擔照顧老人的責任。因此無論是護理之家或是養護中心之老人照護機構的成長，都有逐年快速上升的趨勢，可見我國「長期照護」的需求愈來愈高。同時台灣城鄉差距逐年擴大，根據身心障礙人數、低收入人數、老年人口等三大指標，我們可以發現部份鄉鎮呈現「弱勢」的狀況。本研究認為在過去的研究上，針對城鄉差距（教育、產業）或偏遠鄉鎮（距離）的定義皆無法反應在「人口議題｣上的弱勢鄉鎮。然而從三大指標「低收入人數、老年人口、身心障礙人口｣的角度來看，採用地理空間分析進行相關實證提出新的弱勢鄉鎮範圍，以提供國內相關研究另一個不同之視野。本研究以2011年底主計處資料與內政部社會司所公告之「台灣地區已立案老人安養護機構現況」調查，以台灣地區358鄉鎮之社會經濟狀況為分析單位（不含離島）。研究發現：台灣的弱勢鄉鎮有空間異質性之情況；同時台灣老人安養機構分佈具有空間群聚之現象。

The prolonging of the average life span has resulted in more and more aged people suffering from chronic diseases and functional disorders. Moreover, due to the weakening of family care functions in recent years, some families have become unable to afford the responsibilities of caring for elderly. The growth of nursing homes and elderly care facilities has shown a rapidly rising trend, indicating a growing demand for long term care in Taiwan. Meanwhile, the gap between urban and rural areas in Taiwan is also enlarging. The three indicators of number of physically and mentally handicapped individuals, the low-income population, and the aged population, suggest that some townships are disadvantaged. This study suggests that in previous studies, the definition for the urban-rural gap (education, industry) or remote towns (distance) are not reflected in ＂population issues＂ on vulnerable towns. However, from the three indicators ＂low-income persons, the elderly population, the disabled population＂ point of view, the use of geospatial analysis presented new empirical disadvantaged rural area to provide a different perspective of another domestic research. This study referred to the results of the ＂Status of Registered Elderly Care Facilities in Taiwan＂, announced by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics and the Department of Social Affairs of the Ministry of the Interior at the end of 2011. An investigation was conducted on the socio-economic status of 358 villages and townships in Taiwan (exclusive of the offshore islands). It was found that Taiwan's disadvantaged townships have the condition of spatial heterogeneity, and that the distribution of long term care facilities has the phenomenon of spatial clustering.