Market scope note: This article draws on sources from both Korea and the United States. Each piece of information is marked in the text with 🇰🇷 Korea (Korea) or 🇺🇸 U.S. (U.S.) to indicate which country it applies to.
When you are caring for a parent, a thought drifts through your mind at some point: "This much I should handle myself." "I'd be too worried leaving it to someone else." "There's no one but me." That feeling comes from love — but over time, love hardens into habit. You forget how to ask for help in the first place. This article is an invitation to restart that forgotten practice.
🇰🇷 Korea According to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare released during the 2026 National Assembly audit, the number of long-term care recipients eligible to use the Family Vacation Program (장기요양 가족휴가제) in 2025 was 476,784 — yet only 7,859 people, or 1.65%, actually used it. Even when a program designed to give caregivers a rest exists in plain sight, most families never knock on that door. A similar picture emerges in the United States. 🇺🇸 U.S. According to a report released in July 2025 by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), only 32% of the 63 million family caregivers in the U.S. use paid help. For respite care — short-term care services that give caregivers a temporary break — 39% of caregivers said it would be helpful, yet only 13% actually used it. The report cited lack of trust, feelings of shame, and concerns about service quality as the reasons.
What the numbers reveal is not simply a matter of not knowing about these options. There is a psychological barrier to the very act of accepting help. Korean society has long regarded family caregiving as a private obligation. 🇰🇷 Korea A survey published by Moksoe Data Research Institute (목회데이터연구소) in 2025 found that 88% of Koreans said they felt "burdened" by the prospect of caring for a parent, and 91% ranked "worrying that the family caregiver will experience depression or stress" as their top concern when a family member takes on caregiving — placing it at number one. Everyone worries about caregiver burnout, yet that worry rarely translates into the action of actually asking for help.
🇺🇸 U.S. The 2025 State of Caregiving Report by A Place for Mom found that 74% of family caregivers feel they are not adequately prepared for the demands of caregiving, yet only 19% make use of personal support such as therapy or counseling. The reasons given were lack of time and financial burden. People know what they need, but they keep putting off the first action to meet that need.
There are also practical reasons why asking for help is difficult. 🇰🇷 Korea In the case of the Long-Term Care Family Vacation Program, the recipient or family member must personally contact a service provider, make a reservation, and then complete a benefit contract before the arrangement is registered in the system. Because the process is complicated and the number of agencies actually providing the service is limited, only 532 out of 3,344 agencies capable of providing full-day home-visit care (종일 방문요양) in 2025 — just 15.9% — had any recorded service activity. 🇺🇸 U.S. In the United States as well, the federal-level National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) offers free respite services through Area Agencies on Aging in every state, but research shows that actual utilization remains very low — largely because many people are simply unaware that the program exists.
So where can you begin? A small first step is far more realistic than an elaborate plan. 🇰🇷 Korea You can start by calling a Dementia Care Center (치매안심센터) or a local branch of the National Health Insurance Service (국민건강보험공단) to ask about the Family Vacation Program or short-term care services currently available. If you are employed, you can apply for the Family Caregiving Leave (가족돌봄휴가) — up to 10 days per year — by submitting an application and supporting documents to your employer. 🇺🇸 U.S. In the United States, you can call the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) or dial 211 to be connected with local caregiving support organizations. Using the ARCH National Respite Locator to find respite service providers in your state is another option. If you are employed, you may apply for up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave under the FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) to care for a parent or spouse, though it is important to note that this leave is unpaid.
Asking for help is not giving up. It is a choice to sustain caregiving longer and in better health. The moment the thought "it can't work without me" feels strongest is precisely when that thought is most likely to break the caregiver first. Beginning to practice accepting help may be the longest-lasting choice you can make for your parent. Sierra Care Advisor is here to help Korean-American family caregivers more easily find and connect with caregiving resources in both Korea and the United States.
Sources: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, "Caregiving in the US 2025" (July 2025); A Place for Mom, "2025 State of Caregiving Report"; Ministry of Health and Welfare and National Health Insurance Service, Status of the Long-Term Care Family Vacation Program (data disclosed during the 2026 National Assembly audit); Moksoe Data Research Institute (목회데이터연구소), "Korean Church Diagnosis Report" (February 2025); ARCH National Respite Network; Administration for Community Living, National Family Caregiver Support Program.
Note: This article was compiled by AI from the sources cited above. We strive for accuracy, but for decisions about your specific situation, please confirm the latest guidance from a professional or the relevant agency.