The Realities in the Elderly Caregiving and Its New Direction: Revisiting Caregiving Researches in the 1990s

노인부양의 현실과 그 새로운 방향: 1990년대 연구를 중심으로

This paper reviews researches related with the elderly caregiving, which hale published during the 1990s. After analyzingthe 29 articles in this field, the major findings are as follows: First, the advantageous position in life chances which is consisted of socioeconomic status and resources tends to reduce th burden for the elderly care. The higher in social status, the more resources older adults have, the more advantageous in controlling their relationship with their children and caregivers. Second, values based on familism is more associated with providing caregiving services for their parents than those of filial piety. Third, the tendency that daughter-in-law takes the role of the primary caregiver suggests a possibility of diminishing her enthusiasm, and finally comes to recognize her role as an enforced one, as time goes by. Fourth, cargiving burden affects the diverse aspects of caregiver's way of life. When the lower class elderly has dementia, caregiving stress and hassle have reached at their peak level. For meeting the needs of reducing the burden for the elderly care, this study suggests community- based approach for the elderly care. This approach attempts to share the caregiving burden with local community. To share the burden means that the boundaries of caregivers does not limit family members, but to expand community. This attempt includes a plan that establishes multipurpose community center which provides comprehensive services and care for the aged. The theoretical rationale of this approach are also discussed.