Service Use Trajectories among Long-Term Care Insurance Beneficiaries in South Korea

The purpose of this study is to categorize long-term care service use patterns and to identify differences and changes in characteristics by type. By applying the sequence analysis method to the Senior DB of the National Health Insurance Service(NHIS), the long-term care service use patterns were categorized. We tracked the transitions between long-term care in-home benefits, long-term care facilities (LTCFs), and long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) experienced by the same individual. Differences and changes in service use patterns type were comprehensively analyzed. As a result of the analysis, long-term care service use patterns were categorized into 11 types. The pattern type of continuing to use the service that has been started occupied the majority. The transition from home to facility(LTCFs/LTCHs) was subdivided into types by the transition period, while the transition from facility to home was not identified as a type. Among the types of transition from home to facility(LTCFs/LTCHs), the proportion of transition to LTCFs and transition to LTCHs was 2:1. While the transition from home to LTCFs accounts for a greater proportion, transitions from home to LTCHs have also been significant. As a result of comparing demographic characteristics, care needs, family care resources, and economic resources by type of long-term care service use pattern, a resource gap was found between the types. Accordingly, policy and practical tasks were proposed for rational use of long-term care services and support for living in the community.