• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.503-517
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• 2022

This study was to investigate the social workers' psycho·social experiences and roles during the end-of-life care process in elderly long-term care facilities. As a result of data analysis through in-depth interviews, social workers experienced great exhaustion and burnout due to frequent death experiences during the end-of-life care process, and expressed regret for not being able to provide better service for the deceased and longing for loved ones. And in the event of a sudden death, social workers would undergo criticism and complaints. The main roles of social workers during end-of-life care were to contact and communicate with family members when signs of death appeared and support them after the death. The necessity of standardized manuals and education for end-of-life care, a recharging program and support group to prevent burnout of social workers, and a legal safety net for emergency preparedness and emergency measures were suggested. The necessity of death preparation education, hospice care, and advance medical directive was also emphasized for the dignified death of the elderly.