KBS 명견만리 160506 #BabyBoomer #OldAge #SeongSeokJe #NursingHome #SelfSupport An Era Where Children Can No Longer Support Their Parents When parents get older, children usually take care of their parents, which is the way we have supported them for a long time. However, there are not many families that stick to this traditional way of supporting them anymore. Currently, more than 60% of elderly households in Korea live separately from their children. The way of supporting them is changing to a form where children live separately from their parents and take care of them. Even if children want to take care of their parents, if they do not have the time and financial resources, it is impossible to support them in one house. People in their 50s and 60s, suffering from old-age anxiety The largest portion of their average monthly living expenses is childcare expenses, followed by parental support expenses. With a significant portion of the 5060 generation approaching retirement, parental support expenses are bound to become an economic burden. In the end, they are using their retirement funds to pay for support, so they are not even thinking about preparing for their own retirement. Japan's Warning - The Reality of Unlicensed Nursing Homes Japan, the first country in the world to enter a super-aged society, is already suffering from serious support issues. The government has been increasing the number of nursing homes for the elderly who cannot be supported by their children, but the number is only about one-tenth of the elderly population. They are unable to cope with the rapidly increasing elderly population. As a result of this situation, 'unlicensed nursing homes' that are not licensed by the government are also emerging. The problem is that even unlicensed nursing homes with poor environments and insufficient safety measures have long waiting lists for admission. Japan, which has been lacking in measures for self-support, is now facing a major crisis. Germany, a country where self-support is possible Is so-called 'self-support', where people take responsibility for their own retirement, really possible? We looked into the current state of self-support in Korea. In the case of a silver town in Gyeonggi-do, the deposit for a 20-pyeong apartment was about 220 million won, and the monthly living expenses were about 1.5 million won. The number of nursing homes was so insufficient that there were over 700 people waiting. In this situation, only the top 1-2% could support themselves. Germany was the first country in Europe to enter a super-aging society, but it is considered a country where self-support is possible. Germany’s national policy is that society takes responsibility for supporting parents. About 70% of German families have their children take care of their parents at home. However, there is almost no cost for support that children have to bear. The German government provides up to 700 euros (about 1 million won) in support to families, and also provides most of the items necessary for support, such as beds and wheelchairs. Even if parents go to a nursing home, the cost can be fully covered with pensions and nursing insurance. Why does the German government provide so much support? It is because they believe that families will not fall apart when self-support is possible with the support of society. Another future of self-support, Japan's 'Share Kanazawa' Then, is self-support possible with only social support and institutional support? Self-support is not complete just because you have an economic support system. In order to live a meaningful life without being isolated even after becoming old, a new framework for life in old age is needed. The answer can be found in the long-standing way of life we ​​have maintained. It is 'community'. Recently in Japan, a unique town called 'Share Kanazawa' has become a hot topic. It is a place where college students, disabled children, and the elderly live together, and everyone becomes a member of the community and does their part. Here, the elderly are not simply the ones who are supported, but friends and colleagues who live together.