Community-based Care for Older Persons

Implications from China, Korea and Vietnam

By Sanae Hayashi & Nami Yokogi, SPF Asia Peace Initiatives Program

November 27, 2019

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation has worked on the issue of rapid population ageing in Asia for three years since 2016. One of the efforts is to conduct a case study on community-based care for older persons. The results are compiled into a report titled “Community-based Care for Older Persons: Implication from China, Korea, and Vietnam.”

In Asian countries where population has been rapidly aging, formal care for older persons under government initiatives is not reliable partly due to limited public funding. Although there is still a norm that family members have caregiving responsibilities for their older members in Asia, such expectation is becoming difficult to be fulfilled due to demographic changes such as fertility declines and migration for the working-age population.

In these circumstances, communities have developed their own unique programs and welfare services to care for and support older persons. This report looks at these cases from China, Korea, and Vietnam, and shows that there are three success factors in common: 1) active ageing of older persons through economic and social activities, 2) older persons as service providers, and 3) multi-stakeholder collaboration.

We believe that this report offers innovative suggestions that may allow not only Asia but also the rest of the world to develop measures to deal with population ageing and support older populations. Furthermore, we hope that this report will stimulate a dialogue on the further development of care for older persons in Asia and beyond and the instrumental role played by older persons themselves in securing the necessary care and support for our growing number of older persons.

Description

Author/Editor	Sasakawa Peace Foundation
Date of Publication	2019
Content	Foreword Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1 Informal Care Program in Shanghai, China 1. Case 1: Si Tang Jian 1.1. Background 1.2. The Government-subsidized Si Tang Jian in Dongfeng-cun 1.3. Privately-sector-assisted Si Tang Jian in Lvqiao-cun 1.4. Privately-operated Si Tang Jian in Xixiao-cun 1.5. Program Evaluation 1.6. Challenges 1.7. Lessons 2. Case 2: Senior Buddy Program 2.1. Background 2.2. Services provision 2.3. Survey of the Program 2.4. Program Evaluation 2.5. Challenges Conclusion References Chapter 2 Elderly-elderly Care Program in South Korea Introduction 1. Policy Measures and Exercises 1.1. Social Protection—Long-term Care Insurance and Dolbom (care) Services 1.2. Older Persons’ Poverty and the Elderly Workforce Project 1.3. Older Persons’ Employment and Social Participation and Community’s Involvement 1.4. The Elderly-elderly Care Program 2. Case Study: “Elderly-elderly Care Program” of the Yangsan City Senior Welfare Center Programs in Gyeongsangnam Province 2.1. Overviews of the Community 2.2. Organizing Body and Users 2.3. Services of the “Elderly-elderly Care Program” 2.4. The Key to Successful Program Operation Conclusion References Chapter 3 The Wolgye Social Welfare Center’s “Beautiful Neighbors” Program 1. Backgrounds: Korean Society and General Social Welfare Centers 1.1. Super Rapid Ageing Population, Undeveloped Social Security System and Promising Community-based Welfare 1.2. General Social Welfare Centers and Informal/Formal Welfare Service 2. “Beautiful Neighbors” Program 2.1. Overview of the Operation Area 2.2. Mechanism of the “Beautiful Neighbors” Program 2.3. Development of the Program 3. The Significances of the “Beautiful Neighbors” Program and Suggestions 3.1. The Catalyst for the Program 3.2. Lessons Learned from the “Beautiful Neighbors” Program Conclusion References Chapter 4 Model of Care for Older Persons: the Case of Vietnam Introduction 1. Background Information of the Country 2. Two Models of Community-based Care for Older Persons in Vietnam 2.1. Case 1: Intergenerational Self-Help Club #2 2.2. Case 2: Dieu Vien Pagoda’s Elderly Home Conclusion References Conclusion

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