Suncheon-si, Promoting the Establishment of a New Integrated Care Model for the Elderly

After Long-Term Stay at a Nursing Hospital, I Want to Live the Rest of My Life in My Own Home

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Suncheon City, Jeonnam, announced on the 14th that it will establish a new care model centered on the target population as it enters the second year of the "Community-based Integrated Elderly Care Pilot Project" selected by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The city plans to quantify high-risk groups such as long- and short-term hospitalized patients and chronic disease patients as focused management targets, and create a Suncheon-type model through monitoring and effectiveness analysis.

As a key promotion direction, the city will discover resources based on a public-private cooperation network including local welfare institutions, health care institutions, and Korea Land and Housing Corporation, and work with local residents to build a housing, nursing, and health care system.

Looking at the details, for elderly people who have difficulty securing housing after discharge, the city will operate temporary intermediate housing, and promote urban and rural care-safe shared housing rental projects in the form of share houses where meals and leisure are shared, but each person has an independent living space.

In addition, old hanok houses will be improved to provide a safer living environment by upgrading inconvenient earthen floors and wooden floor facilities for the elderly, and considering the characteristics of elderly people prone to joint accidents, installing fall and slip prevention, safety handrails, and smart alert systems.

Furthermore, to reduce the burden of family care and enable independent daily living, integrated services will be provided including healthy meal delivery, household care, one-on-one individual visits for oriental medicine treatment, exercise guidance, medication adherence guidance, and the dispatch of a "Neighborly Care Activity Group" where neighbors care for neighbors to prevent loneliness and depression.

A Suncheon city official said, "Most elderly people want to spend a healthy old age and the rest of their lives in their own homes rather than hospitals," adding, "We will shift welfare policy directions so that they can build social relationships locally and maintain a comfortable life, and public and private sectors will systematically and continuously cooperate to implement policies that enhance citizens' happiness levels."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.