ABSTRACT

Formal geriatric care system in Korea was introduced in 2008 and certified carer system in 2010, but there have been very little trials of improving professionalism for the carer. The formal system in Japan was introduced in 1997 and there have been more trials of improving for the carer than Korea even though Japan has currently fallen short of the carers due to increasing the geriatric patients since the super-aged society. Differences in professionalism for the carer between Korea and Japan were found in employment rates and wage, showing much higher in Japan. The professionalism and job stress for the Korean carers were compared with those for the Japanese ones in this study, and there found differences in the professionalism. The Korean carers responded to take socially more important roles than the Japanese ones, whereas the Japanese ones responded to depend upon suggestions from the other carers more frequently when they worked than the Korean ones. Using regression analysis to model the relationship between job stress and 5 factors of the professionalism, the factor of sense of calling was the only predictor to the stress for both Korean and Japanese samples. The findings were discussed in the context of improving professionalism for the carer as well as of proposing more desirable ways to elder care.