Market reference guide: This article covers resources from both Korea and the United States. Information specific to each country is marked as 🇰🇷 Korea or 🇺🇸 U.S. throughout the text.
One day, your mother came home from the hospital with three prescriptions: one for high blood pressure, one for diabetes, and one for osteoporosis. While each prescription feels familiar on its own, managing three medications at once carries an entirely different weight. Chronic conditions do not heal overnight. They are conditions that require careful, ongoing management over an extended period. The sooner you accept this fact as a family caregiver, the more effectively you can help protect your parents' quality of life.
🇰🇷 Korea According to the 2023 Elderly Life Conditions Survey released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, older adults aged 65 and above in Korea have an average of 2.2 chronic conditions per person. This means far more people are managing two or three conditions simultaneously than those dealing with just one illness. Furthermore, results from the 2024 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey show that three out of every ten elderly women experience osteoporosis, and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has emphasized the need for more proactive management to prevent the worsening of chronic conditions in older age.
🇺🇸 U.S. According to research published by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) in 2025, 93% of older adults aged 65 and above in the United States have at least one chronic condition, and 79% manage two or more simultaneously. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also confirms that over 90% of adults aged 65 and above have at least one chronic condition. Common examples include high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The first step family caregivers can take in managing chronic conditions is to create an accurate list. Gather information about all conditions your parents currently have, the names and dosages of all medications they are taking, and contact information for their primary care physicians and specialists in one place. When visiting multiple hospitals, prescriptions can overlap or conflict with one another. 🇺🇸 U.S. Inappropriate medication management in chronic disease patients is identified as a major cause of hospital readmissions. Simply organizing a medication list is the first step toward reducing these risks.
🇺🇸 U.S. If your parents are in the United States, be sure to look into Medicare's Chronic Care Management (CCM) program. If they are Medicare Part B beneficiaries who have had two or more chronic conditions for 12 months or longer, they may be eligible for this program. CCM includes personalized care plan development, care coordination through remote visits at least once per month, and 24-hour access to healthcare professionals. One healthcare facility that participated in this program reported a 20% decrease in hospital admissions and a 13% reduction in emergency room visits.
🇰🇷 Korea In Korea, the Ministry of Health and Welfare is advancing a plan to expand home-based medical centers—where doctors, nurses, and social workers visit patients' homes directly—from 95 facilities in 2024 to 250 nationwide by 2027. The ministry is also preparing for nationwide implementation of a 'dementia management primary physician' program, which has been piloting in 22 cities, counties, and districts since July 2024. Additionally, the 'Act on Integrated Support for Community Care in Healthcare and Long-term Care Services' is scheduled to be implemented in March 2026, and is expected to create more systematic connections between healthcare, long-term care, and support services.
Managing chronic conditions does not happen only within hospital walls. Reducing sodium in meals, keeping a blood pressure monitor by the bedside, and taking medications at the same time each day are daily routines that extend the course of treatment. For parents who live alone, maintaining these routines is especially challenging. 🇰🇷 Korea According to the 2023 Elderly Life Conditions Survey, 73.9% of older adults living alone reported difficulties in their daily lives, while only 48.1% of elderly couples experienced the same. For parents living alone, regular check-ins and connecting them with care services are especially important.
Sources: Ministry of Health and Welfare 2023 Elderly Life Conditions Survey (released October 2024), Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency 2024 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey results (released October 2025), National Council on Aging (NCOA) 2025 publication, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) chronic disease statistics (2024–2025), Medicare CCM official CMS guidance (June 2025), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) CCM program guide, NPR Health News CCM report (April 2024).
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.