CHANGES IN PATTERNS OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL HELP AND UNMET NEEDS AMONG KOREAN OLDER ADULTS

Abstract

Abstract Despite the consistent expansion of social long-term care insurance (LTCI), informal care by family members is still dominant in Korea. This study aims to examine how older adults in need utilized formal and informal sources of help and how patterns of help and unmet needs changed over time, since LTCI has been introduced in 2008. Community-dwelling older adults (65+) from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (N = 2,501) reported their I/ADL limitations and who helped them—if they are in need in 2010 and 2018. We grouped older adults’ sources of care into (a) no help, (b) informal help only, and (c) any formal help, and examined the patterns by wave and gender. Among older adults with I/ADL limitations, formal help use increased between waves (1% to 12%), suggesting the impact of LTCI expansion. Changes in the patterns of help and unmet need differed by gender. The proportion of older men with no help dramatically decreased (41% to 27%); more men received informal or formal help in 2018. In contrast, the proportion of older women who did not receive any help remained similar (33% to 34%); thus, although more women received formal help, less women relied on informal help in 2018. Within the context of LTCI expansion, older men may mobilize support from their family further, which contributes to lowered unmet needs. However, older women’s unmet need did not decrease, while reduced use of informal help. These findings highlight the importance of considering gendered long-term care resources in Korea.