Being Hospitalized in Korea: the guardian (보호자)

I've never been hospitalized growing up in America. To be honest, I've never even been to a hospital in America because they're so expensive. But I have seen them on TV. 

Korea’s healthcare system, however, is extremely affordable and efficient. So if you’ve been ignoring that throbbing herniated disc or that creaky hip needs a replacement, now’s the time to get it done here in South Korea’s best hospitals. 

Recently, an expat friend of mine decided to get her fibroids surgically removed after years of painful periods and heavy bleeding. She wasn’t aware of this Korean hospital cultural norm, and it also slipped my mind until a coworker told me about his experience taking care of his wife after a mastectomy. 

The lightbulb went off in my head. “Ah!! Foreign friend probably has no one to be her guardian.” So I called her up and generously offered my services. 

What is a guardian (보호자)?

One unique point about being hospitalized in Korea is that the patient needs someone called a guardian (보호자). A guardian in English is an adult who is responsible for a minor. However, in Korean hospitals, it’s a family member or close acquaintance who takes care of you while getting inpatient treatment -- even if you are a full-grown adult. 

A guardian is such a cultural hospital norm that doctors or nurses do not say, “You will need a guardian.” They just assume you will have one and then refer to them as if they are already part of the whole surgical process. 

A guardian is not someone who has the power of attorney. If God forbid, you’re in a coma, your guardian cannot decide to pull the plug and donate your organs. The legal stuff is a whole other story. 

A guardian is simply your family or friend acting as your personal nurse.
 

Why do I need a guardian? 

Again, I have never been hospitalized in America, but my guess is that nurses in Korea have slightly different roles and responsibilities compared to those in the States. For instance, Korean nurses do not help you to the bathroom, do not give you sponge baths, do not help you get up and walk around for exercise. These are all duties of the guardian. 

What if I have no guardian? 

Guardians do not have to be with you for the entire hospitalization as people have their own lives and jobs to go to. So there is a high chance that a family member or a friend will not be around when your appendix suddenly bursts. In these cases, there are people called caregivers of the sick (간병인). Ask the doctor or nurse to recommend a caregiver and you can pay them per day for their services. Caregiver fees differ by region and supply and demand. But a quick Naver search shows that they start from 85,000 won to 125,000 won per day. 

What to expect when you are the guardian

Time off Work

Depending on how and why your friend ended up in the hospital, the guardian’s duties can be simple or difficult. In my case, my friend had planned her surgery months in advance. And once I offered to be her guardian, she changed her surgery date to match my Spring Break. Taking at least one day off from work may be necessary depending on the severity of the surgical procedure. 

What to bring

The hospital gave a list of items the guardian needs to bring if they are staying overnight: basic toiletries like a toothbrush, towel, slippers, and your own pillow and blanket. 

Pre Surgery

We met at the hospital in the morning and checked in. The patient did all the talking and signing of paperwork. I did some translating for my friend, but mostly just stood there and helped carry her belongings around. 

The patient changed into hospital clothes, and we were shown to the hospital room. A nurse came and prepped the patient for surgery. But the guardian is literally doing nothing pre-surgery. The guardian also waits in the waiting room during the hours-long surgical procedure. And only after the patient begins to wake up from anesthesia, the guardian starts to be a bit useful. 

Post Surgery

I sat next to her bed and the nurses told me to not let her fall back asleep. If your friend ends up in the Intensive Care Unit, you are not allowed in. But my friend was in the Recovery Room, so I sat next to her bed keeping her company as it took hours more of monitoring her condition and receiving two blood transfusions.

Finally, the nurses moved my friend into her hospital room. The first night after surgery is the most important, so a guardian should spend the night with the patient. The nurse will tell you the information that you need to know as the guardian. For instance, our hospital did not have a call button. I had to call the nurses’ office with my cell phone. They told me to call them when the IV drip ran out, how to help the patient move side to side for exercise, how to rewrap the bandages. The work is not difficult for a guardian, but the sleeping conditions are pretty bad. 

The guardian’s bed is narrow and hard. And the nurses and doctors come into the room a handful of times during the night to check on the patients. Once they come in, you should get up and immediately move out of the way. I kept sleeping and the doctor was a bit peeved -- she told me to get up and move. 

During Recovery

After the first night, I went home and another friend came to take my place as the 2nd guardian. She helped our patient get out of bed and walk around. The doctors encourage walking as exercise so the patient can pass gas, finally drink and eat something, speeding up the recovery process. The 2nd guardian spent the night and went home the next day as well. The remaining week, my patient managed to move around on her own. And just before she was discharged from the hospital, she took care of the paperwork and hospital fees herself. 

A guardian’s job may be uncomfortable but it is not difficult. If you are an expat in need of a guardian for your upcoming surgery, ask a close friend. But remember to return the favor when the occasion calls.