Comments on: Korea’s Elderly Living in Poverty Highest in the OECD

By: USFK Soldiers Deliver Heating Oil to Elderly Koreans

USFK Soldiers Deliver Heating Oil to Elderly Koreans — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:13:35 +0000

[...] the recent report that Korea’s elderly are the poorest of all OECD countries, it is good to see USFK soldiers doing their part to aid Korea’s senior [...]

By: ?? ? The Western Confucian: Confucian Korea?

?? ? The Western Confucian: Confucian Korea? — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:34:03 +0000

[...] Korea doing things like picking up cardboard, this statistic is easy to believe,” says GI Korea — Korea’s Elderly Living in Poverty Highest in the OECD.The idea that Korea is the world’s most Confucian society is belied by this fact. In eleven years [...]

By: mati

mati — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:07:29 +0000

Korea may be not alone with this kind of problem, but isn t this report another indicator of how divided the society is? Very limited understanding between the generations who grew up in
totally different realities.

By: Gerry

Gerry — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:58:39 +0000

Sad, but some of the most interesting conversations with Koreans during 1974-75 ( when I was first stationed there) was the issue of Americans not taking care of their elderly. Apparently we sent our elderly to nursing homes, (according to them) while they always took care of their elderly within the family. This was a point of pride for those that I talked to. It made a big impression on me at the time. ( I was only 24, and very nieve) When I finally returned from my seven years in asia, I looked at our system. It was much better than I thought, with meals on wheels, community elderly programs, and of course social security. I have since discovered that 'nursing homes' are still used, however only when the care becomes more than what a family can provide. (Nursing, personal hygiene care, medication , and special programs suited to the individual). I live in Florida where there is a large number of elderly in most communities. While there are the few who slip through the cracks, it is a very small number. The US system is holding up well.