Caregiving crisis: Who are aging parents most likely to rely on?
Summary
Older Koreans are still most likely to rely on children or spouses for care, according to a latest survey cited in the article. The survey found that 73.5 percent of centenarians chose those family members, while 35.6 percent said they would use a paid caregiver. The piece also says older couples are increasingly caring for each other as traditional three-generation households decline and dual-income families become the norm.
Key Facts
- In the latest survey, respondents could choose multiple answers when asked who they would prefer to care for them.
- The article says daughters-in-law once often cared for sick parents-in-law, but that tradition is steadily disappearing.
- Nearly 30 percent of centenarians have dementia, according to the article.
- The article notes that preventing and managing high blood pressure and diabetes from middle age is important for protecting brain and blood-vessel health and lowering stroke risk.
Daughters-in-law are caring for fewer elderly parents than in the past
Elderly citizens visit Tapgol Park in Jongno District, Seoul, for free meals, July 28. Those aged 65 and older reached 20.7 percent, or 10.723 million people, surpassing 20 percent of the total population for the first time, according to the National Data Office's 2025 Population and Housing Censu" released last month. Yonhap
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Older Koreans have generally shown reluctance toward institutional care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing facilities accounted for a significant share of deaths, further heightening concerns about institutional care.
Family members often take on the role of caregiver. In a latest survey, 73.5 percent of centenarians selected their children or spouses as the people they would prefer to care for them. Respondents could choose multiple answers. Some 35.6 percent said they would use a paid caregiver.
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In the past, daughters-in-law often cared for sick parents-in-law. That tradition, however, is steadily disappearing as fewer families live in three-generation households, while dual-income families have become the norm.
Many older people also prefer to be cared for by their daughters or sons, with whom they may feel more comfortable. At the same time, an increasing number of elderly couples are caring for each other — a phenomenon often referred to as "elderly caring for the elderly."
Spouses may continue to care for a partner even while suffering from chronic illnesses themselves. But this can place a heavy physical and emotional burden on them and may worsen their own health. Although many would like to hire professional caregivers, the cost can make that difficult.
The finding that nearly 30 percent of centenarians have dementia is particularly noteworthy. Dementia can be caused by a range of conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, stroke-related vascular dementia and alcohol-related dementia.
Preventing and managing conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes from middle age is important for protecting brain and blood-vessel health and reducing the risk of stroke.
gettyimagesbank
Reaching 100 is no longer as rare as it once was. But longevity alone does not guarantee a fulfilling old age. If a person lives well past 100 but can no longer recognize the faces of loved ones, society must ask what it truly means to live a long life.
For people in their 50s and 60s, the choices they make today can be a turning point for their future health. This is also an age when chronic diseases become increasingly common. Abandoning unhealthy habits early and managing existing conditions carefully can help people live longer in better health — while reducing the caregiving burden that may eventually fall on their children and spouses.
This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
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