요양원 어르신들, 면회 금지로 추석 때 자식 못 봐<br /><br />Chuseok is the time of year families across South Korea reunite with relatives in their home towns, carry out ancestral rituals and feast on traditional food.<br />This year, however, COVID-19 has changed the way people will celebrate Chuseok...to the disappointment of many.<br />Our Han Seong-woo looks into how nursing home residents are coping with the situation.<br />Many senior citizens in South Korea have trouble facing the reality that COVID-19 restrictions have practically erased Chuseok from the calendar.<br />Struggling most are the elderly living in so-called "high risk" special care facilities where no visitors are allowed.<br />"It hurts that I can't see my family even though they're nearby. I miss my babies... My great-granddaughter... But what can I do?"<br />This interview was conducted in strict adherence to quarantine and public safety guidelines.<br />Deemed to be too vulnerable, nursing home residents have been cut off from the outside world.<br />Their children share the frustration.<br />: "One day, she said to me, 'Looks like I won't be going home for Chuseok' and it hurt... I received a lot of love from my mother throughout my life... I want to pay at least a tenth of it back but it doesn't look like I can."<br />Experts worry that the distress senior citizens will feel from not being able to meet family members may take its toll on their mental health.<br />"When the elderly start suffering from various illnesses and live in nursing homes, self-esteem is bound to be very low. And if their children don't visit for the holidays, severe depression or disappointment, even feelings of abandonment may follow."<br />Aware of the risks, one nursing home in Seoul is utilizing modern technology to help save Chuseok.<br />"We upload photos and videos of our residents' daily activities onto BAND, a social networking service, so they can communicate with their families online."<br />Reminding society that sometimes, whether it be a 'like' on social media or just a simple phone call, a little human warmth is all that's needed.<br />While keeping a physical distance from elderly relatives is a must this Chuseok, it’s important that people make efforts to close the emotional gap between their family members.<br />Han Seong-woo, Arirang News.<br />
