Coresidence Matters: Family Caregivers’ Willingness to Utilize Institutional Care Under South Korea’s Long-Term Care Insurance System

Abstract

This study investigated family caregivers’ willingness to utilize institutional care under South Korea’s Long-Term Care Insurance. Using data drawn from 1,369 family caregivers (including spouses and adult children) in the 2019 Korean Long-Term Care Survey, logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with institutional care intentions. Results showed that 72% of family caregivers favor institutional care, with adult children and children-in-law being twice as likely to do so as spouses. Willingness to utilize institutional care was significantly higher among non-coresiding caregivers than those coresiding, whereas caregiver gender had no significant effect. Interaction analyses confirmed that the impact of coresidence remains consistent across different relationship types. These findings suggest that coresidence status, rather than kinship alone, shapes caregiving trajectories. The study underscores the need for nuanced long-term care policies, prioritizing burnout prevention for coresiding caregivers and enhancing case management for non-coresiding families to ensure care continuity.