GOOD ALZHEIMER'S CARE DEFINED BY FAMILY CAREGIVERS AND FORMAL CAREGIVERS IN KOREA

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study is to explore the meaning of good Alzheimer’s care and the policy needs from the perspective of family caregivers and formal caregivers(in long-term care settings) in Korea and to provide policy suggestions to mainstream "care" and "caregivers" into the Korean National Dementia Plan. By using mixed methods, the Korean Government's policy efforts under the National Dementia Plan to respond to the issue based on Alzheimer’s patients' individual needs and care environments and to alleviate family’s caregiving burden are analyzed. Also, the formal caregivers’ working conditions, difficulties, and the level of knowledge/expertise are examined to find out whether they are well prepared for providing good Alzheimer’s care. The findings reveal that both family caregivers and formal caregivers desire Alzheimer’s care experts’ consulting and honest communication among the care triads. Family caregivers want formal caregivers not to infantilize the patients, to provide more cognitive services based on their individual history and characteristics. Also, the vulnerabilities of patients' spouses are identified that in many cases there is no one other than the spouse who can provide care for the patient, their self-rated health status is poorer, and their tendency to seek professional help is relatively lower. Formal caregivers want the Alzheimer’s patient-formal caregiver ratios to be lowered for better care and their Alzheimer’s care expertise to be acknowledged and properly compensated. Thus, it is crucial to reflect the experiences of the care triads(patients, family caregivers, and formal caregivers) in the Korean National Dementia Plan more rigorously.