Study on the Experience of Using Community Care Services for the Elderly with Disabilities

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of the elderly with disabilities who are living with the dual burden of disability and aging in community care and to explore service policies to improve their lives. They were interviewed in-depth and analyzed using the case study method proposed by Creswell(2007). The findings are as follows. The cross-case analysis between cases in the case studies includes “the double burden of care gaps and health crises”, “care under the shadow of exclusion”, “recovery and expansion of life through care and relationships.” The within-case analysis includes “decline in quality of life and health deterioration due to reduced care services”, “physical and mental traces left by aging”, “collapsed daily life under the shadow of secondary disabilities”, “life at the crossroads of survival amidst the absence of care”, “institutional limitations and inequalities in care services”, “inefficiencies in care services and lack of understanding of disability characteristics”, “embracing disability and living as a friend with it”, “longing for simple joys in everyday life”, “transitioning from receiving care to leading a giving life”, “the caring hands that became a refuge in life.” Based on the above findings, recommendations were made to introduce an assessment system that reflects the types and characteristics of disabilities of the elderly with disabilities, improve the care service system to reflect the needs of the elderly with disabilities, introduce an integrated care service system for elderly with disabilities, and provide supervision and professional training to strengthen the practice capabilities of care service providers.