Background: Aging populations worldwide are grappling with the challenge of long-term care for the disabled elderly, particularly in countries like China that are aging before they become affluent. The number of disabled elderly in China is sharply increasing, necessitating effective strategies to meet their care needs. Objectives: This study aims to conduct a comprehensive scientometric analysis of research trends, hotspots, and future directions in the field of long-term care for disabled elderly individuals in China using CiteSpace software. Methods: Employing CiteSpace 6.2.R1, this study analyzed 1,914 relevant publications from 1999 to 2024 in the Web of Science and CNKI databases. Keyword analysis, clustering, and visualization were performed using CiteSpace software to identify key themes and trends. Results: The analysis indicates an overall upward trend in publications since 1999, with a significant increase between 2013 and 2017. High-frequency keywords mainly include influencing factors, integration of medical and nursing care, and service quality. Research hotspots include family caregiving, health status, demand factors, and mental health. Conclusions: This study reveals the research trends, hotspots, and future directions in the field of long-term care for disabled elderly individuals in China. It shows a rapid increase in research quantity over time. High-frequency keyword analysis identified ongoing topics of interest such as influencing factors, integration of healthcare, and service quality. Keyword clustering analysis revealed that research hotspots are concentrated in areas such as family caregiving, health status, demand factors and mental health, with each field containing rich research content. Main Contribution to Evidence-Based Practice: This study uses CiteSpace visualization analysis software and bibliometric methods to organize and analyze existing literature, clarifying the research status, hotspots, and trends in the field. This information is intended to help scholars, practitioners, and policymakers better understand the progress in this area and provide a reference for future in-depth research.