On October 29 last year, grandfather Ahn Youngil, who lives in a Jugong apartment in Bukgu, Gwangju Metropolitan City and receives home visits for medical care, is lost in thought in his bedroom. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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Anyoungil Ahn (89), who lives alone in an apartment in Buk-gu, Gwangju, spends almost all of his time at the dining table next to the kitchen. His wife, his lifelong partner, suffered from dementia for 20 years before passing away three years ago. Except for a brief hospitalization in a nursing home, he cared for her by himself. After tending to her for so long, his own health inevitably deteriorated.

One day, he broke a vertebra in his back while trying to get up from bed. The cause was osteoporosis. Now, due to scoliosis, he cannot use his back at all. Even inside the house, he can only take a few steps with a cane. The dining table is where he sits to avoid moving as much as possible. He grabs a few side dishes from the kimchi refrigerator within arm’s reach to have his meals. The medicines he needs to take are also kept on the table.

On the 29th, at a Jugong Apartment in Buk-gu, Gwangju, 89-year-old Youngil Ahn is receiving a COVID-19 vaccine from Jongwoo Kim, director of Malgeunsum Woori Internal Medicine, who is providing long-term home care medical services. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

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"I live on the 16th floor, so I can't even remember the last time I set foot outside. My back aches even when I stay still, so I have to alternate sitting on my right and left hips. Going outside is out of the question."

His son, who lives in Gyeonggi Province, only visits during holidays for a meal and leaves. A care worker comes five days a week thanks to his long-term care grade, but only helps with housework for two hours a day. No one is available to take Ahn to the hospital. Fortunately, since last year, medical staff have been visiting his home for checkups.

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Buk-gu, Gwangju, is a pilot area for 'integrated care,' where seniors can receive medical care at home without going to the hospital. The home-visit medical service started last year. In Buk-gu alone, there are about 300 people like Ahn who are eligible for home visits. Nurses visit weekly, and doctors visit every other week.

At 1 p.m. on October 29 last year, the doorbell rang. "Sir, I'm here. How have you been?" A young doctor and nurse opened their medical bag on the dining table and held the elderly man's hand. The doctor's gown read 'Jongwoo Kim, Director, Maelgeunsum Woorinaegwa Clinic.' They asked if he had a cold, how his back pain was, if he had enough painkillers and patches, and if he was taking his medication properly. They also checked his blood sugar. "You need your COVID shot today. It might sting a little."

Jongwoo Kim, director of Malgeunsum Woori Internal Medicine, is being interviewed after completing a home visit for grandfather Youngil Ahn at an apartment in Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City on October 29 last year. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

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After the checkup, Dr. Kim chatted with Ahn. "Do you remember the old supermarket in front of the apartment? A new convenience store has opened there..." When he brought up neighborhood stories, a smile appeared on the elderly man's face. Dr. Kim said, "Elderly people who are alone at home while sick can become depressed, so I try to have a lot of everyday conversations with them."

For Ahn, the 20 minutes Dr. Kim spends at his home always feels too short. "When the doctor leaves, I feel sick again. I can pay more, so can't you come one more time to my house?" He always pleads to Dr. Kim’s back as he leaves through the front door. "Really, can't you?" These words make it hard for Dr. Kim to walk away easily.

On the 29th, Ahn Youngil (89) is moving to the bedroom with the help of a caregiver after receiving long-term home medical care at a Jugong Apartment in Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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Each time Ahn receives a home visit, he pays about 39,000 won. The total cost per visit is about 130,000 won, but as a financially stable person, Mr. Ahn covers 30%. "I used to be a public servant at the Maritime Affairs Agency. There’s nowhere in Yeosu, Mokpo, or Jeju that I haven’t been. Even now, I receive a civil servant pension, so paying for medical care is not a problem at all. But the real issue is people. I miss people."

The living room is so full of things he used to share with his wife that there’s barely any space to step. Old account books, a worn landline phone, even empty flowerpots?he hasn’t thrown anything away. In the sunniest spot in the house, he placed his wife’s memorial photo, decorated with a rosary from church and a religious painting he drew himself.

On October 29 last year, grandfather Ahn Youngil was waiting for medical staff to visit to receive long-term care home medical services at an apartment in Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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"I can't leave this house because of all the memories. I wouldn’t be able to take all my things to a nursing home. When I think of my wife, I pick up a brush in the master bedroom. I’ve been painting since middle school, you know. I even held an exhibition at church. In the evening, I look out the window for a while. Watching children playing in the playground makes me truly happy. I’m fine being alone. With the doctor visiting my home, I don’t have to worry even when I’m sick. I want to keep living in my own home."

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