• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.31-56
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes that family caregivers have experienced since using the Korean Long-Term Care Insurance(LTCI) system. In-depth interviews were conducted to determine how the services offered within the LTCI program had affected family caregiving and what changes they had incurred. Results from the qualitative content analysis show that the LTCI program significantly reduced the caregiving burden among family caregivers although burdens that family caregiver perceived varied greatly depending on the types of service that the family selected, and assigned family caregivers different identities and diverse roles(i.e., service user, family caregiver, certified care provider) depending on the service they use. The phenomenon of 'certified family care provider', which was not an intention of LTCI, demonstrates the practical need of elderly persons who require both care and the comfort of family and economic status of the family. Despite the positive impact of the LTCI policy on the family caregivers' burden and family relationship, the current LTCI system should be modified in order to better meet the needs of beneficiaries and their family caregivers.