Culture and dementia: accounts by family caregivers and health professionals for dementia-affected elders in South Korea.

With rapidly growing concerns about the high rates of dementing illness in Korea, this study presents findings from in-depth qualitative interviews with fifteen family caregivers and health professionals on: (1) perceptions of dementia among Korean family caregivers, (2) cultural influences on caregiving, and (3) status of the development and utilization of formal services for the older population with dementia in Korea. Practices of the traditional familism are demonstrated in the multigenerational family where both material support and respect for the aged are the social norm. Thus, providing informal care for a demented parent is expected in the context of fulfilling filial responsibilities. In assessing the current situation in Korea, there is a lack of social services established by the Korean government for the older individuals, which can be attributed to the norm of parental caregiving. This cultural influence poses significant challenges to Korean caregivers of dementia-impaired elders.