A Typological Framework for Long-Term Care Delivery Systems: Regional Differences and Policy Directions

This study analyzes Korea's regional LTC delivery systems and suggests policy improvements based on regional characteristics. Using data from 2016-2024, this study applied quadrant analysis with two indicators: personal care workers per 1,000 employed persons and approved LTC recipients per km². The 17 regions were classified into four groups based on comparison to national averages. Analysis revealed increasing disparities between regions over time, with Euclidean distance analysis showing approximately 70% of this growing heterogeneity attributable to changes in recipient density. Four distinct regional types were identified: Group 1 (high supply-high demand) metropolitan areas suitable for home-based care; Group 2 (low supply-high demand) needing workforce policies; Group 3 (low supply-low demand) facing home-care implementation challenges; and Group 4 (high supply-low demand) requiring residential support policies. The findings suggest that differentiated policy approaches are necessary rather than uniform home-based care policies nationwide.