Abstract
middle and upper class families, and examine obstacles to their introduction in Korea. Since a few large-scale facilities for the elderly with dementia have been provided for only low-income families free of charge, the necessity of group homes for middle and upper class families willing to pay for such services has become an issue recently in order to lessen the burden on families, as well as to promote the well-being of the dementia victims themselves. The survey was conducted by questionnaires collected from 577 respondents from middle and upper class families. The results of the survey were as follows: The merits of the group homes were 1)decreasing loneliness of the elderly, 2)providing active and stimulating environments allowing for participation everyday life activities, and 3)lessening the emotional and physical burden on the caring families. Potential obstacles to its introduction in Korea were 1)the difficulty of finding sites to build the group home because of the negative perception of people with disabilities and a NIMBY(Not In My Back Yard) reaction to the construction of it and 2)the economic burden on the caring family. Surprisingly, the guilt factor associated with sending the parents into group homes was not considered as a big obstacle. Referring to results of this study, it is asserted that group homes for the elderly with dementia would be embraced throughout the country if Koreans could have the chance to understand what group homes are.
