As Hawaiʻi's population ages, caregiving is getting more attention from both residents and policymakers. South Korea is testing a new program that may provide insights that could be used elsewhere — including here.
The city of Seoul is about four months into a pilot program using Filipino caregivers. It's aimed at dealing with a shortage of caregivers serving clients from the elderly to preschool children.
When operations got underway in South Korea in September, there was some skepticism about whether demand for the program would be high enough to justify the initial start-up costs and adjustments for special visas.
Last week, the Seoul government said about 100 Filipino caregivers are working in the area, serving nearly 200 households. The waitlist has now grown to more than four times that amount.
While the government has been surprised by the strong demand in Seoul, it's also been caught off guard by a lower demand outside the capital city.
The Joong Ang Daily reports the Seoul government is working with the federal Employment Ministry to figure out what comes next after the pilot program.
The Philippines has been a regional leader when it comes to overseas caregiving as the Japanese government has been working to expand the number of Filipino caregivers in that country.
Back in South Korea, the government says if demand leads to an expansion of the pilot program, caregivers could be added from other Southeast Asian nations as well — from Cambodia and Indonesia to Vietnam.
