The Incheon Social Service Agency announced on the 25th that it will begin a research survey on the actual conditions of family caregiving among adolescents and young adults in the Incheon area.
Based on the 'Incheon Family Caregiving Adolescents and Young Adults Support Ordinance' enacted in 2023, the study will analyze the daily life conditions and welfare service demands of individuals aged 13 to 34. Although the ordinance covers ages 9 to 34, the study has set the range to 13 to 34 for direct survey feasibility among adolescents and young adults.
The survey will be conducted online with cooperation from related organizations such as the Office of Education, universities, youth support centers, and comprehensive social welfare centers. It will investigate caregiving status, necessary policies, surrounding environment, psychological and emotional conditions, and personal characteristics, and conduct in-depth interviews with adolescents and young adults who are primary caregivers. The research period will last until October.
The Incheon ordinance defines family caregiving adolescents and young adults as those aged 9 to 34 who care for family members needing assistance due to disability, illness, old age, or who are responsible for the livelihood of such family members.
It is estimated that family caregiving adolescents and young adults nationwide account for about 1.4% of all adolescents and young adults, and Incheon is analyzed to have a particularly high potential for an increase in family caregiving adolescents and young adults.
According to the National Statistical Portal of Statistics Korea, as of 2023, the early dementia incidence growth rate in Incheon is 12 percentage points higher than the national average, and as of 2022, the proportion of chronic disease patients in low-income households is 70.8%, indicating a high risk level. Additionally, as of 2023, single-parent households in Incheon have slightly rebounded, unlike other regions.
An official from the Incheon Social Service Agency stated, "The population requiring care in Incheon is increasing annually more than in other regions, so the number of family caregiving adolescents and young adults is likely to rise. It is necessary to understand their actual conditions and promptly prepare related policies."
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