Dongdaemun-gu Launches Care SOS Center Project

Elders and Disabled Targeted Temporary Home Care and Meal Support Services... Customized On-site Training for District Care Managers to Enhance Welfare Planner Skills in 14 Neighborhoods in September

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] With the strengthening of social distancing measures due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), many multi-use facilities have suspended operations, increasing the number of elderly and disabled people in need of care.

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) is filling the care gap caused by facility closures through the Care SOS Center project, which started in August.

The Care SOS Center project provides temporary home care, meal support, and other care services to households with middle-aged people aged 50 and over, elderly, and disabled persons (regardless of age) who need household help or nursing due to sudden illness or accidents or have difficulty managing meals on their own.

The district prioritizes four essential care services (temporary home care, short-term facility, meal support, information counseling) out of the eight major care services (temporary home care, short-term facility, meal support, information counseling, accompaniment support, housing convenience, health support, and welfare check-ins).

Temporary home care, where a caregiver visits the care recipient’s home to assist with nursing and household chores, costs 37,780 KRW for 2 hours and can be used up to 60 hours annually (daily limit of 188,700 KRW, with exceptions allowing daily provision in urgent care situations).

Short-term facility admission costs 57,320 KRW per day and can be used for up to 14 days annually (when using municipal nursing facilities, the rate is applied based on the nursing home standard at 70,990 KRW per day). Meal support service, which delivers meals, costs 7,800 KRW per meal and can be used up to 30 meals annually.

Individuals can use services worth up to 1.56 million KRW annually, and households with income below 100% of the median income receive full financial support for the service fees. Other households must pay for the services out-of-pocket.

The district actively identifies eligible recipients based on welfare needs records collected through welfare consultations at local community centers and also accepts applications from individuals in need through these centers.

Additionally, to enhance the practical skills of community welfare planners, the district will conduct on-site training at 14 community centers throughout September. Through project training, case sharing, and Q&A sessions, welfare planners will improve their skills to provide high-quality services to residents.

Yoo Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, stated, “Many people are experiencing difficulties with household chores, nursing, and meals as many multi-use facilities have closed due to social distancing measures from COVID-19. We hope the Care SOS Center project will help many residents in their daily lives, and we will continue to implement meticulous policies to ensure no one is left in the care blind spots.”

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