노인 돌봄서비스는 미충족 의료를 낮추는가? 2020년 노인실태조사 분석

Abstract

Background: The importance of care and healthcare services for the elderly is growing due to the rapid aging of the population and changes in household types. In Korea, the Long-Term Care Insurance System was implemented in 2008, providing a universal system of public care services. However, the needs of the elderly for care and healthcare services are still not being fully met. Care and healthcare services are essential for the quality of life and survival of the elderly, making research in this area crucial. Therefore, this study aims to identify the association between the care provided to individuals aged 65 and older and their unmet healthcare needs. Methods: Based on the analysis of the National Survey of Older Koreans 2020, the final study population consisted of 9,920 elderly individuals aged 65 and over, after excluding 177 proxy respondents from an initial total of 10,097 participants. The dependent variable in this study is the experience of unmet healthcare needs, while the main variable of interest is care. The control variables include demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and health status. And technical analysis, univariate analysis using the Rao-Scott chi-square test, and survey logistic regression analysis were conducted after adjusting for various confounding variables. Results: The study found that 252 people (2.5%) of all the elderly had unmet healthcare need. In the adjusted model accounting for all variables, the odds ratio for experiencing unmet healthcare needs was 2.76 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.60–4.78) for the private care group and 5.84 (95% CI, 2.65–12.89) for the public care group, compared to the group with no functional limitations. There was no significant difference in unmet healthcare experiences between the group receiving mixed care (private and public care) and the group in need of assistance but not receiving care. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that unmet healthcare needs occur among both elderly individuals receiving public and private care, highlighting a lack of proper integration between care and healthcare services. In Korea, elderly care and healthcare are often operated in a fragmented manner, focusing on supply rather than demand. It is hoped that the findings of this study will serve as a foundational resource for improving integrated elderly health policies that connect care and healthcare services.