ABSTRACT
In South Korea, the bulk of confirmed cases of COVID-19 are due to a cluster infection in the Shincheonji Church, small cluster infections in the community, and imported infections from foreign countries. Although adults 60 and older constitute only 24% of all cases, 93% of the total COVID-19 related deaths occurred among this older group. A shortage of qualified home-based care services in South Korea means that most older people have no choice but to depend heavily on residential institutional care. In 2018, the Korean Government announced its “Community Care” policy initiative to shift the paradigm from institution-based to community-based care. Community Care aims to enhance the quality of life and overall well-being of the older adults by providing home care tailored to their needs. Community Care has also now received attention from advocates and researchers who wish to reduce cluster infections during pandemics.
