Elderly people owning pets, policy support needed = South Korea

In South Korea, the number of elderly people owning pets is increasing. Although many studies have shown that pets have a positive impact on the health of the elderly, elderly people may find it difficult to care for their pets. Therefore, the elderly
There is a need for a pet-friendly approach to pet-friendly care services. On the 25th, the Korea Insurance Research Institute (KIRI) released a report containing such recommendations. According to the same report, 65
10.6% (503,987 households) of households with elderly people over the age of 10 own a pet, and 126,826 households had elderly people living alone. Especially for elderly people aged 65 to 74 who live alone.
8.5% own pets. Overseas, pet-friendly elderly care services are being developed. In Australia, out-of-pocket home benefit services such as dog walking and veterinary treatment are available.
We provide support for visits to hospitals, etc. Additionally, there are no government regulations on pet ownership in nursing homes, with 18% of nursing homes allowing pets. In addition, the government is
We are considering how to incorporate demands for government support for pet care and the expansion of pet-friendly care facilities into the long-term care system.
KIRI Researcher Song, who submitted the report, said, ``Even in Korea, the health effects of pets and the sustainability of the social security system are
In the long term, it is necessary to consider policy support for pet ownership by the elderly, taking into account issues such as improvements in pet ownership and the issue of pet abandonment.''
Reduce financial expenditures for medical and nursing care costs due to aging, and improve health insurance and long-term care insurance.
It is pointed out that there is a need to support pet ownership from the perspective of increasing the sustainability of the system. It can also help solve the problem of abandoned pets due to deterioration of elderly people's health or admission to nursing facilities.
There is sex. Researcher Song suggested that long-term consideration should be given to systems that support the care of pets for long-term home benefit recipients, as well as systems that increase the number of treatment facilities where pets can live together. Ma
He also pointed out that, given the high operating and management costs of facilities where pets can live together, it is necessary to consider ways to improve the system in advance.