GOVERNMENT'S PLANS OVER DEMENTIA

[Anchor Lead]

The government has announced a plan to invest 200 billion won in the next nine years in promoting research into dementia and improving health care services for dementia patients. It has been two years since the government pledged to take care of people suffering from dementia, but few of its policies have produced tangible results so far.

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This woman suffers from deteriorating memory. Her son moved in four years ago to take care of her. He has to keep a close watch on her around the clock. Every day is a challenge. Taking care of someone with dementia is exhausting. The government pledged to provide greater support to dementia patients and their families by dispatching helpers so that the patients' loved ones can take time off at least for a few days. But when this man applied for the service, his request was turned down. The local facility for dementia patients said they do not provide such services.

[Soundbite] CHUNG JONG-SUNG(FAMILY OF DEMENTIA PATIENT) : "They said they did not provide the service. I was very disappointed."

KBS checked the list of facilities that are officially registered with the National Health Insurance Corporation as providers of dementia care services. The results showed 70 out of 160 do not provide such services, while 62 others were full to capacity. Only 28 places, or 17 percent of all facilities, were available.

[Soundbite] (STAFF AT SHORT-TERM DEMENTIA CARE CENTER(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "We never provided it. We registered at first, but we never operated it."

The situation is no different with the all-day visiting care service. It is provided for up to six days 12 hours a day. But 49 out of 50 randomly contacted places refused to take on a new patient.

[Soundbite] (STAFF AT VISITING CARE CENTER(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "We take care of patients two or three hours a day. As far as I know, no center provides visiting care services 24 hours a day."

Dementia care facilities claim the government's policy was unreasonable from the start, because they cannot afford to hire more personnel or expand their facilities due to the constantly changing number of patients. They also point out inadequate conditions for dementia patients.

[Soundbite] NA HAE-RAN(PROF., YEOUIDO ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL) : "Patients think of such centers as scary places. They become paranoid and experience severe anxiety tantamount to a mental disorder."

The number of dementia care facilities surged five-fold in just two years, but the average number of users per facility last year was 0.4 persons.