2.1. Daycare Services
Daycare services are community-based, long-term care programs that provide respite care to families and delay the need for residential-based institutional care for older adults with disabilities. These services may include therapeutic activities, health monitoring, socialization, medical care, transportation, and access to psychological and social resources necessary for the health and well-being of older adults. Daycare services also provide nutrition and health, social, and recreational activities for older adults during the day [
11,
12,
13].
In Taiwan, daycare services are a critical component of community care for older adults. These services allow older adults to continue living in a familiar environment and provide support to reduce the burden of adult care and promote self-reliance. Daycare services in Taiwan offer a range of activities to meet the socialization needs of older adults, facilitate aging in place, and promote active aging. These services are primarily intended for older adults with mild to moderate disabilities or dementia and are designed to maintain and promote self-reliance, reduce social isolation, and delay functional decline. Research has shown that daycare services can improve the quality of life, social interaction, and interpersonal relationships of older adults, as well as reduce depression and stress and increase life satisfaction [
14].
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of community-based daycare centers for older adults in Taiwan. A variety of organizations, including non-governmental organizations, hospitals, private individuals, and corporate groups, have invested in the long-term care industry. In this competitive market, the quality of daycare management is essential for the performance, survival, social perception, and the rights and interests of care recipients. The operation and management of long-term care institutions for older adults will play a crucial role in society, and the quality of their management and performance will be a key factor in the survival of these institutions [
15,
16]. The operation and management of an organization are essential for its sustainability. The success of long-term care organizations is largely determined by their business philosophy, administrative system, and human resource management [
15,
17]. Other important factors include the availability of government resources, expansion and integration of care services, and the quality of care, as well as the utilization of institutional and community resources [
16,
18,
19]. For example, the Mississippi Division of Medicaid in the United States has established quality assurance standards for daycare services, including standards for daycare administration, organizational operations, human resources, financial and service management, operations, and community resource planning. The evaluation system is a crucial element in the long-term sustainable development of long-term care institutions and the recognition of society. Research on the key success factors for institutional operations and evaluation has demonstrated that an evaluation system is an important tool for measuring the performance of institutions [
20].
2.2. Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process
In 1965, the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) was developed from a multi-criteria decision-making method combining Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and fuzzy theory (Fuzzy Theory) [
21]. FAHP is a multi-objective decision-making method comparable with the AHP method [
7,
22]. The method can deal with difficulties regarding quantification without deleting any unique opinions. Fuzzy AHP is widely used in solution selection and overall decision-making. The fuzzy theory solves the problems existing in traditional AHP, for example, the limitation of the application of ratio scale, the problem of correlation of decision attributes, and the problem of averages [
10,
23]. The Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) was used as an operational evaluation system for daycare centers [
24]. The FAHP and TOPSIS methods are integrated to establish an assessment model for the continuity of long-term care maintenance quality services in the community [
25].
The main purpose of this research is to construct an evaluation model for the operation and management efficiency of daycare centers, according to the operation and management effectiveness of the daycare and evaluation benchmark according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. A hierarchical architecture of the criteria is constructed. There are four main criteria including operation and administration (C1); organizational operation management (C2), external resource connection (C3); and employee rights and interests (C4).
Operation and administration (C1) play an important role in achieving the goal of sustainable operation for a daycare center. This includes evaluating the strategies, financial systems, and executive management of the firm. The financial stability of the organization and the efficiency of its leadership are crucial for the institution’s management quality. Good leadership is required to guarantee that the center functions efficiently and meets its objectives. Senior management should have a firm grasp of the center’s mission and values and effectively communicate them to personnel and stakeholders. Further, they should foster a healthy work environment that encourages employee development, open communication, and collaboration.
Organizational operation management (C2) involves addressing issues related to service quality and improvement. Effective organizational operation management is essential for sustainable operation, and this includes establishing a working manual, standardizing the administrative management process, and tracking and recording service quality conferences. The standardization of the administrative management process is another crucial tactic. Developing consistent procedures for operations such as budgeting, scheduling, and personnel administration is required. By standardizing these processes, businesses may eliminate errors, boost efficiency, and guarantee the effective use of resources.
External resource connection (C3) refers to the integration of resources from the external environment to support individuals in need. This can involve connecting different service resources to meet the needs of the service recipients, such as by establishing community resource links, creating essays and organization profiles, and disclosing detailed institutional service information online. Daycare centers can ensure that the needs of service users are fulfilled through a collaborative and comprehensive approach by integrating external resources, building community resource links, and releasing complete institutional service information online.
Employee rights and interests (C4) is an essential aspect of any firm, regardless of size, nature, or industry. Daycare institutions are obligated to protect the rights and interests of their workers. This is not only crucial for fostering a pleasant workplace culture, but in many jurisdictions, it is also a legal requirement. A thorough system of staff rights should be designed to clearly identify the employer’s and employees’ expectations, entitlements, and duties. This system should encompass a variety of elements, such as fair salaries and benefits, equitable opportunities, and safe working conditions. Protecting employee rights and interests is not only a moral imperative, but it also contributes to the organization’s success. Employees are more likely to be motivated, engaged, and productive if they believe they are treated fairly and with respect.
2.4. Hybrid MCDMs Applications
Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methodologies have achieved considerable acceptance in numerous industries due to their capacity to incorporate multiple criteria into a thorough analysis that supports decision-making processes. Among the many MCDM strategies described in the literature are Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP); Technique for Ordering Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS); Rough AHP; Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS); Multi-Attribute Border approximation Area Comparison (MABAC); and Ranking of Alternatives through Functional mapping of criterion sub-intervals into a Single Interval (RAFSI).
The integration of different MCDM methods provides a comprehensive decision-making model that considers the strengths of each technique and improves the accuracy and reliability of the results. Recent studies have shown the effectiveness of hybrid MCDM in various applications, such as location selection, sustainability performance measurement, hotel appraisal and selection, and railway station prioritizing.
Table 1 presents some examples. Ref. [
27] applied an integrated AHP–RAFSI approach to solve a location selection problem, taking into account characteristics such as accessibility, resource availability, and environmental impact. Ref. [
28] emphasized the importance of the TOPSIS method to MADM in computing exponential divergence measures for Pythagorean fuzzy sets, illustrating the approach’s efficacy in uncertain decision-making procedures. Using the modified Rough AHP–MABAC technique, Ref. [
29] created a multi-criteria evaluation framework for ranking Indian railway stations based on characteristics such as accessibility, cleanliness, and security. These studies illustrate the integration of many MCDM methods yields a holistic decision-making model that considers the benefits of each strategy. Improved decision-making processes have also been indicated by the creation of hybrid MCDM techniques, such as the combination of AHP and TOPSIS or Rough AHP and MABAC. Overall, the application of MCDM approaches continues to grow and provide valuable insights into complicated decision-making issues.
Access to health care equity in the health care system uses the Fuzzy Analysis Hierarchy Process (FAHP) to create a standardized weighted quality and optimal solution (TOPSIS) to rank cities in the province, and the results of the study can significantly help improve the management and overall performance of health care centers [
30]. However, very few studies using hybrid MCDM models to assess performance in the health care sector, for example, Ref. [
31] using fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS method, choose the best health care insurance. Hence, to fill the research gap, this study contributes to the literature by combining fuzzy AHP and TOPSIS to evaluate the operation efficiency of daycare centers.
Table 1.
Literature review of MCDM applications.
Table 1.
Literature review of MCDM applications.
Year | References | Application Sectors | MCDM Models |
---|
2018 | [29] | Multi criteria evaluation framework for prioritizing Indian railway stations | AHP–MABAC |
2019 | [32] | Application in web-based hotel evaluation and selection | COPRAS |
2021 | [33] | Sustainability performance measurement for Libyan Iron and Steel Company | Rough AHP |
2021 | [27] | Resolving a location selection problem | AHP–RAFSI |
2022 | [28] | Computing exponential divergence measures for Pythagorean fuzzy sets | Fuzzy TOPSIS |
2022 | [22] | Selecting optimal wind power plants | DEA and AHP |