{"id":2205107,"date":"2024-05-14T14:49:12","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T05:49:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2205107"},"modified":"2024-05-15T16:27:07","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T07:27:07","slug":"south-koreas-eldercare-crisis-leaves-families-buckling-under-caregiving-weight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/05\/south-koreas-eldercare-crisis-leaves-families-buckling-under-caregiving-weight\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea\u2019s eldercare crisis leaves families buckling under caregiving weight"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea\u2019s lack of comprehensive public eldercare services and the high costs of professional care services force many families to provide care themselves, resulting in significant financial strain and, in extreme cases, the <\/span>murder of dependent elderly relatives<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Kim Sang-hoe, a 65-year-old noodle shop owner from Seoul, exemplifies this struggle. He endured over a decade of financial and emotional hardship while caring for his elderly mother, who recently died from cancer in 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n Kim spent approximately $2,200 (3 million won) monthly on day and night caregivers, in addition to medical expenses, to meet his mother\u2019s constant care needs due to her limited mobility. His caregiving responsibilities consumed his weekends, impacted his personal life and required him to work extra hours during the week to cover costs.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWithout my business, I might have considered suicide,\u201d Kim told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>. \u201cBut now I have come to the realization that I have nothing saved for my own old age.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n RISING COSTS<\/b><\/p>\n In South Korea, cultural norms and inadequate public caregiving services reinforce the tradition of family members bearing caregiving responsibilities. Even placing his mother in a specialized nursing hospital would not have alleviated the financial burden for Kim, as these facilities do not offer assistance for daily tasks, and the national health insurance plan does not cover caregiving.<\/span><\/p>\n Only a few tertiary hospitals have 24-hour care units staffed by nurses and nursing assistants covered by insurance, but even these do not accommodate patients needing round-the-clock care.<\/span><\/p>\n