A woman wears two misaligned shoes during a drill to support dementia patients in Seocho district, Seoul, South Korea, September 26, 2024 - Photo: NEWSIS
According to the Korea Times on March 13, the South Korean government said the number of people with dementia in the country is expected to exceed 1 million next year and could double by 2044 due to the rapid aging of the population.
By the end of 2024, South Korea will officially become a "super-aged" society according to the United Nations' classification when the proportion of the population aged 65 and over exceeds 20%.
According to recently published research results, 9.25% of the 9.46 million people aged 65 and over in Korea are currently diagnosed with dementia, meaning more than 970,000 people have the disease.
This age group currently accounts for 18.5% of the total population and is expected to continue to increase in the coming years, leading to the number of people with the disease exceeding 2 million by 2044.
However, one positive sign is that the incidence rate in this age group has decreased slightly compared to 9.5% in the 2016 study, thanks to a reduction in risk factors such as smoking and drinking.
However, aging remains the biggest risk factor. The report found that the number of people with mild cognitive impairment – an early sign of dementia – increased from 22.25% to 28.42% over the same period.
There are currently about 2.98 million people with the condition, and this number is expected to reach 4 million by 2033.
The increase in the number of dementia patients also puts great financial pressure on families and the health care system.
In a survey conducted by the Korean Ministry of Health, 45.8% of respondents said they felt financial or mental pressure when caring for a sick relative, while only 27.1% said they did not experience any difficulty.
At the same time, about 40% of survey participants said that caring for a patient with dementia negatively affected their lives.
Additionally, the report found that families spend about 17.34 million won (about $12,000) a year on patient care, with 67 percent of the cost going toward hiring caregivers. The more severe the condition, the higher the cost of care.
The South Korean health ministry is currently drafting a comprehensive plan to improve the system over the next five years, with policies such as expanding financial support for families facing financial pressure.
“Due to the rapidly aging population , the number of people with dementia is expected to continue to increase. The government will implement various policies to help people maintain their health and reduce the burden on families with relatives with the disease,” said Kim Eul Ki, director of the Health Ministry’s Aging Policy Bureau.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/xa-hoi-sieu-gia-han-quoc-co-gan-1-trieu-nguoi-mat-tri-nho-2025031314321751.htm
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