Geriatric Diseases and Medical Service for the Aged in Korea

ABSTRACT

There has been growing concern over potential health problems and medical care needs of the aged in Korea. The increasing aged population requires more medical services, especially in medical services for chronic diseases and disabilities. The proportion of the aged population to the whole shows an apparent increasing trend, from 3.2 % in 1960 to 5.0 % in 1990, and is expected to reach 6.8 % in the year 2000 and 12.5 % in 2020, forecasting that Korea will indeed enter the era of an aging society in the early 21st century. In Korea, geriatric diseases have the characteristic structure having multiple entities. The most common medical problem is arthralgia(with 57.8 % of 65 and older). Second is chronic back pain and the third is diseases of digestive system. There are three kinds of medical care programs for the aged : medical insurance, medical assistance, and health screening. Korea is making efforts to improve medical services in order to cope with not only the demand for health care but also the quality of life of the aged.