[2021 Muyeongo Report] Lighting Birthday Cake Candles... Social Workers Who Became Family Instead of Relatives

<6>Their Final Resting Place

Most Receive Basic Livelihood Benefits
Some Are Taken Care of in Hospitals
Out of 62, 10 Are Unclaimed
They Receive More Attention Than Other Patients

Unclaimed patient Mr. A and health information manager Hwang Myeonghwan are sitting on a hospital bed at Carnation Nursing Hospital in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, smiling together on the 31st of last month.

[Asia Economy Special Coverage Team = Team Leader Ko Hyung-kwang, Reporters Yoo Byung-don, Jung Dong-hoon, Lee Jung-yoon] "Please take a nice picture"

On the 31st of last month, at Carnation Nursing Hospital located in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, A (69), a patient without family ties, smiled brightly at the reporter taking photos. He held tightly the hands of Park Yoon-sik, a social worker (33), and Hwang Myung-hwan, a health information manager (29), both working at the hospital. Although visits were restricted due to COVID-19 and outdoor outings were difficult for nursing hospital inpatients, he smiled brightly saying, "The social workers and nurses all take good care of me. There’s no need to go outside."

A, who has no family, was admitted to this hospital two years ago in 2019. A friend from the same church helped him get admitted. More than half of the patients without family ties spend their final days in medical facilities such as hospitals or nursing hospitals. The ones who watch over their lives until the very end are not family members but the social workers and nurses at the nursing hospitals.

In particular, social workers act as the ‘hands and feet’ for patients without family. They assist patients in accessing local resources and services such as community centers and city halls. Health information managers support the social workers’ tasks and help basic livelihood security recipients with hospital bill payments and other administrative matters.

At this hospital, out of 62 patients, about 10 have no family ties. Most of them were admitted through local community centers. Social worker Park said, "Usually, elderly without family live alone and after emergency room or hospital treatment, if continuous care and protection are needed, they are admitted to nursing hospitals." Park added, "Most patients without family have eligibility for benefits, receiving about 400,000 to 500,000 KRW per month. Medical aid patients’ monthly hospital fees are around 700,000 KRW, so the benefit amount is insufficient, but the hospital covers the remaining costs and treats patients without family." At Carnation Nursing Hospital and similar facilities, someone on the ground is bearing losses or making sacrifices to embrace the final days of patients without family.

Patient A, who has no known relatives, social worker Park Yunsik, and health information manager Hwang Myunghwan are sitting together on a hospital bed at Carnation Nursing Hospital in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi-do, smiling together on the 31st of last month.

Staff working at nursing hospitals also put extra care into dealing with patients without family. Manager Hwang explained, "When it’s their birthday, we prepare a small cake and sing for them," adding, "For patients without family, we try to see them more often and approach them more warmly." He also said, "There is no case where patients without family feel discouraged. They get along well with social workers and other staff and do not show any sign of being without family."

Furthermore, he explained the need for support for patients without family. Social worker Park said, "Since patients without family have no relatives, psychological and economic support is necessary for them," adding, "For psychological support, efforts by nursing hospital staff along with connections to external resources such as holding performances are important." She also mentioned, "Patients without family often cannot prepare items like towels, soap, and shampoo," and added, "If there are donated goods, it would be good to manage them and provide them when patients without family arrive."

※This article was produced with government advertising fees supported by the Korea Press Foundation.