Making Home-Based End-of-Life Care a Realistic Choice: A Narrative Review of Linkages Between Community Care and Specialized Hospice Institutions in South Korea.

PURPOSE: This narrative review examined how current service structures shape the feasibility of home-based end-of-life care in South Korea and identified the linkage functions required to connect community-based care with specialized hospice institutions.

METHODS

Empirical studies, national policy documents, service guidelines, hospice and palliative care reports, and relevant international models were narratively synthesized. The review focused on place of death, home-based services, family caregiving, regional disparities, and linkages between community-based care and specialized hospice institutions.

RESULTS

Four interrelated themes were identified. First, the gap between preferred and actual place of death reflects a system-level issue rather than individual preference alone. Second, existing home-based services contribute unevenly to end-of-life care because they operate under separate legal, financial, and organizational arrangements. Third, linkage failures become visible at transition points, including discharge home, worsening symptoms, caregiver exhaustion, emergency transfer, and anticipated death at home. Fourth, feasible home-based end-of-life care requires linkage functions such as needs-based identification, regional referral and consultation networks, shared care planning, caregiver support, urgent response, and clarified procedures for expected death at home.

CONCLUSION

Home-based end-of-life care requires a coordinated regional linkage system connecting specialized hospice institutions with community-based services.