Market reference note: This article draws on both Korean and U.S. sources. Each piece of information is labeled 🇰🇷 Korea or 🇺🇸 U.S. in the text to indicate which country it applies to.
Your parent's medical appointment next week is circled in red on the calendar. Prescription renewal, blood work, physical therapy — you've noted every one of them in advance. But can you remember the last time you had your own health screening? Many caregivers pause at that question. "Later," or "I'll definitely do it this spring," they tell themselves — and then two or three seasons slip by.
🇺🇸 U.S. According to a survey released in July 2025 by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, approximately 47% of family caregivers reported that their physical health had declined since they began providing care. In the same survey, 42% said they experience emotional exhaustion or burnout every week. This tells us that caregivers' bodies and minds are being depleted together.
🇺🇸 U.S. A University of Zurich study published in the international academic journal Psychological Science (2024) analyzed data from more than 28,000 caregivers and confirmed that the longer the period of caregiving, the more significantly a caregiver's overall well-being declines. This effect was especially pronounced among women who serve as the primary caregiver for a close family member. This is not simply a matter of time — it is a matter of structure.
🇰🇷 Korea A study published by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (보건사회연구, 2024) confirmed that the burden of family caregiving increases the risk of depression, and that social support plays a meaningful role in buffering that relationship. The protective effect of social support was particularly strong among female caregivers in their 50s and 60s and among urban residents. Shouldering care alone leaves marks not only on the body but on the mind as well.
The reasons caregivers put off health screenings tend to follow a familiar pattern: "I don't have time," "I'm probably fine," or "I'm afraid of getting bad news." 🇺🇸 U.S. According to the 2025 Aflac Wellness Matters Survey, 94% of American adults reported barriers that prevent them from getting recommended health screenings on time, with fear of bad news and conflicts with work and daily life cited as the main reasons. For caregivers, "I'm busy looking after my parents" would be one more item to add to that list.
Postponing a health screening, however, does not make the risk go away. 🇺🇸 U.S. Data from the AARP Public Policy Institute shows that among caregivers who have provided care for five or more years, the share who rate their own health as "bad or very bad" rose from 14% among first-year caregivers to 20%. It is a paradox: the longer time goes on, the louder the body's signals become, yet the fewer opportunities there are to check on them. 🇰🇷 Korea The Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부) is pursuing the diversification of home-based benefits under the long-term care insurance system and the expansion of integrated medical, nursing, and care support services, which is gradually widening the institutional openings that make it possible to arrange a temporary break in caregiving and get a screening done.
The smallest step you can take today is a single phone call to book a screening. 🇰🇷 Korea The National Health Insurance Service (국민건강보험공단) general health screening gives those born in even- and odd-numbered years a chance to be screened each year; if you are an employee subscriber, you can also apply through your workplace. 🇺🇸 U.S. If you are enrolled in Medicare, you are entitled to one Annual Wellness Visit per year at no cost, and most private insurance plans also cover one preventive visit per year with no out-of-pocket expense. When you schedule your parent's next checkup, why not book your own at the same time?
Sources: AARP & National Alliance for Caregiving, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025 (July 2025); Michael D. Krämer & Wiebke Bleidorn, The Well-Being Costs of Informal Caregiving, Psychological Science (2024), University of Zurich; Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, 보건사회연구 Vol. 44, No. 1, "The Moderating Effect of Social Support on the Relationship between Family Caregiving Burden and Depression in Middle-aged and Older Adults" (2024); Aflac Wellness Matters Survey 2025; AARP Public Policy Institute, Caregiver Statistics; Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부), Release of the 2023 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons (March 2025); National Health Insurance Service (국민건강보험공단) Health Screening Guide; U.S. Medicare.gov Annual Wellness Visit information.
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.
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.