title: Long-term care needs of the elderly in Korea and elderly long-term care insurance.
abstract: Korea is one of the fastest-aging societies in the world. According to the Korea National Statistical Office, the number of those aged 65 years and older will dramatically increase from 9.1% in 2005 to 37.3% in 2050. It is very evident that Korea must urgently prepare itself for new times. The government insurance policy for elderly people, now called long-term care insurance, is ultimately designed for providing home- and facility-based supports to seniors with geriatric diseases and dementia, as well as for reducing the support burden on other family members. This article is to introduce the long-term care insurance of Korea and thereby to advocates the necessity of international discussion of the prospects for developing health care for aging populations; its aim is to encourage the sharing of differing national experiences concerning care for the elderly.
authors.affiliation: The Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Suk-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Deok Hwan
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Woong Soo
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006291:Health Policy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007353:Insurance, Long-Term Care; D007723:Korea; D008134:Long-Term Care; D011157:Population Dynamics