Carers avoid dementia care / KBS 2025.03.17.

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[Anchor] We have reported that in a super-aged society, one in ten elderly people suffers from dementia. Next year, we will enter an era with one million dementia patients. However, there are only about 600,000 caregivers to assist elderly individuals, including those with dementia who have mobility difficulties. This is insufficient to meet the rapidly increasing demand for dementia care. Moreover, starting this year, laws have been revised to ensure that caregivers look after fewer patients in order to improve the quality of care services and the treatment of caregivers. While more caregivers need to be hired, there are complaints of labor shortages in the field. Reporter Jin Seon-min has the story. [Report] Song Se-gi works as a caregiver in a nursing home. With an 8-hour shift in a 'three-shift' system, she has to care for five or six dementia patients alone. It is physically demanding, and she also faces emotional distress from patients and their families. [Song Se-gi/Facility Caregiver: "There are times when there is violence, verbal abuse, or sexual harassment. But when we talk about it, they say, 'What can you do? It's a dementia patient'."] After working a full month, she receives a salary at the minimum wage level, and every time she hears dismissive remarks, she feels a sense of self-doubt. [Song Se-gi/Facility Caregiver: "'Caregivers just clean up poop and pee.' It’s very sad to be seen as someone who does that."] Due to the poor perception and treatment of caregivers, it is not easy for care facilities to find staff. [Care Facility Operator: "Even after two months of continuous promotion, we couldn't hire anyone until December 31. (The labor shortage) is the same for all nursing homes in South Korea."] Most caregivers prefer home care services. This is because nursing facilities, which have many severe and dementia patients, only increase the workload without offering higher pay. [Care Facility Operator/Voice Altered: "When one person is hired, another leaves, leading to high turnover. It’s difficult to find caregivers, which makes it hard to care for the elderly."] Most caregivers are over 60 years old, which raises concerns about elderly individuals caring for other elderly individuals. There is a growing call to raise caregiver wages and improve their treatment to attract younger individuals into the profession. This is KBS News, Jin Seon-min. ▣ KBS 기사 원문보기 : http://news.kbs.co.kr/news/view.do?nc... ▣ 제보 하기 ◇ 카카오톡 : 'KBS제보' 검색 ◇ 전화 : 02-781-1234 ◇ 홈페이지 : https://goo.gl/4bWbkG ◇ 이메일 : kbs1234@kbs.co.kr Copyright ⓒ KBS. All rights reserved. 무단 전재, 재배포 및 이용(AI 학습 포함) 금지