Platform Thinking in Elder Care: A Cross‑Sector Socio‑Technical Synthesis of Caregiver‑Facing Technologies

Digital platforms increasingly mediate elder care, connecting informal caregivers, older adults, service providers and public agencies across home, community and institutional settings. This study integrates a PRISMA‑guided systematic review (2015–2025) with bibliometric mapping and LDA topic modeling to synthesize 293 records (57 high‑relevance studies) on caregiver‑facing technologies. We recast classical adoption determinants—usability and usefulness—and under‑addressed moderators—trust, privacy/security, and workflow integration—as platform governance levers in multi‑sided ecosystems. Findings show technology acceptance is conditioned by governance choices (e.g., data access/assurance, role design, incentive alignment) that operate across sectors, including health and social care. We explain why TAM/UTAUT/STAM have rarely been applied coherently and propose an integrative platform adoption framework linking human‑centered constructs with orchestration mechanisms and cross‑sector policy constraints. This reframing clarifies how platform thinking can reduce caregiver stress, improve communication flows, and accelerate responsible innovation in elder care. We conclude with a research agenda for platformization in aging services (privacy‑preserving analytics, ecosystem incentives, public procurement and reimbursement design) and discuss implications for the governance of socio‑technical systems in hybrid civic, industrial and public sector settings.