A Qualitative Study on the Experiences of Primary Caregivers of the Elderly Using Long-Term Care Insurance for the Elderly: Focused on Long-Term Care Facility

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the difficulties of primary caregivers among the experiences of using the long-term care insurance system for the elderly, and to identify the practical and policy implications of social welfare to improve them. This was a qualitative study in which five research participants were interviewed in depth and analyzed through Giorgi's phenomenological research method. As a result of the analysis, 35 semantic units, 15 sub-components, and 5 high-order components were derived from the experiences of the primary caregivers of the elderly, using the long-term care insurance system for the elderly. The top five components are 『Responsibilities and rewards in difficult care』, 『Helpful but insufficient system』, 『Another caring role that needs to be met』, 『Primary caregiver in ambivalent emotions』, and 『Wish for good care』. The results of this study show that it is necessary to further strengthen the care management system to support the integrated perspective of care in long-term care insurance for the elderly, and it is necessary for the elderly, primary caregivers, and facility operators to embrace the best practices of good care is in long-term care facilities. It is necessary to clearly define good care for the elderly. Additionally, it is necessary to check and improve the administrative system of the long-term care insurance system delivery system for the elderly, and it is necessary to prepare a support system for primary caregivers and families caring for the elderly, before and after entering the long-term care insurance system. Also, It is necessary to improve the professionalism of the care coordinator of the National Health Insurance Service and the case manager of the facility, who play roles as care managers.