Market scope note: This article covers data 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 spend your days by a parent's side, you gradually notice that a friend has stopped calling, and the lunch gatherings you used to attend fade away one by one. You tell yourself, "I'll have more time soon," but before long there is no one left to talk to. Did you know that this quiet isolation slowly chips away at a caregiver's health?
🇺🇸 U.S. According to the "Caregiving in the U.S. 2025" report published by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), there are now 63 million family caregivers in the United States — more than 20 million more than in 2015. Among them, 64% experience moderate to high levels of emotional stress, and 1 in 4 reported feeling lonely. That figure is higher than the 21% who reported loneliness in 2020.
🇺🇸 U.S. The same report found that the average family caregiver experiences about 7 days per month of poor mental health. A full 56% said that their caregiving role makes it difficult to take care of their own mental health. When a caregiver's own well-being deteriorates, the quality of care the older adult receives inevitably declines as well.
🇰🇷 Korea The situation in Korea is not much different. A 2024 study published by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs confirmed that family caregivers continue to bear physical, emotional, social, and financial burdens even when they are using home-based benefits under 노인장기요양보험 (the National Long-Term Care Insurance program). The core message of that study was that expanding public care services has not, on its own, resolved the caregiving burden on families.
So what is the most effective way to lighten this heavy load? Research consistently points to social support. 🇺🇸 U.S. Support groups made up of caregivers in similar situations not only reduce social isolation and provide psychosocial support — they also become a space where people share practical advice on self-care and on navigating the healthcare system. AARP strongly encourages caregivers who feel lonely in their caregiving role to seek out these kinds of groups.
🇰🇷 Korea The government is also taking action. Starting in 2024, the 보건복지부 (Ministry of Health and Welfare) launched a pilot program dedicated to supporting 가족돌봄 청(소)년 (young and adolescent family caregivers), offering self-help groups, daily-life recovery programs, and psychological counseling. The program also includes up to 2 million won per year in 자기돌봄비 (self-care expenses) support. Caregiver education and counseling programs at 노인복지관 (senior welfare centers) across the country are steadily expanding for middle-aged and older caregivers as well, so we recommend reaching out first to your local 주민센터 (community center) or 노인복지관.
Feeling connected is not a luxury. Many caregivers say that simply knowing someone else is out there caring for a parent just like they are makes their heart feel a little lighter. Caregiver groups within the Korean-American community, online cafés, small groups at religious institutions, and family education programs offered by local care facilities can all be a starting point. If you look, you may find that someone who is truly in your corner is closer than you think.
Sources: AARP & NAC, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025 (July 2025); AARP, Disconnected: The Escalating Challenge of Loneliness Among Adults 45-Plus (December 2025); AARP, How to Find a Caregiver Support Group (December 2024); Kim Min-su, Lee Yong-ho & Song Ji-eun, A Study on Typologizing Caregiving Burden Among Family Caregivers — 보건사회연구 (Health and Social Welfare Review), Vol. 44, No. 1 (2024); 보건복지부, Guidance on the Pilot Program for Young Family Caregivers and Isolated/Reclusive Youth (February 2024); 대한민국 정책브리핑, Guidance on Expansion of Long-Term Care Short-Term Protection Services (July 2026); Family Practice journal, 2022.
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.