Solution for Rehabilitation and Health Management of Disabled People in Nowon-gu at Once?

Integrated Management by Doctors, Pharmacists, Physical Therapists, Nutritionists, and Occupational Therapists... Support for Rapid Return to Community Within 3 Days After Discharge, Accompanied First Outing Service Provided

Nowon-gu Wolgye Health Center Disabled Rehabilitation Exercise Class

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is operating an integrated health service that simultaneously addresses rehabilitation and health management for people with disabilities who are facing difficulties in managing their health amid the COVID-19 situation.

Nowon-gu ranks second among Seoul’s autonomous districts in terms of the number of people with disabilities (about 27,000), and has the highest proportion of disabled residents at 5.2%.

The service consists of three components.

First, an integrated health management service for home-visit rehabilitation recipients.

Starting this year, the target group has been expanded. When visiting the homes of recipients who have difficulty moving, not only physical therapists but also occupational therapists, nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, and dental hygienists accompany the visit as needed. Since health experts from various fields provide consultations and services tailored to the health conditions and needs of diverse recipients, severely disabled individuals with low medical accessibility can receive rehabilitation treatment and health management simultaneously.

The second service is home visits and first outing accompaniment for discharged disabled individuals. For those who have newly acquired a disability and become eligible for home-visit rehabilitation support, the public health center visits their home within three days after discharge. This is to help the rapid social reintegration of people with disabilities. To alleviate the feelings of helplessness and fear after acquiring a disability, a physical therapist will also accompany the first outing as part of the service.

The last service is an integrated health management program for disabled individuals with chronic diseases. According to the 2017 Disability Survey, 79.3% of people with disabilities have chronic diseases, making self-health management challenging. To promote active health management, a focused management program is implemented for disabled individuals with chronic conditions such as hypertension or diabetes. Those with chronic diseases receive testing, management, and educational support through the public health center, and can receive medication counseling, nutrition management, exercise guidance, and psychological support from experts.

Meanwhile, Nowon-gu recently established a dedicated rehabilitation room on the first floor of Wolgye Public Health Center for people with physical and brain lesions disabilities, operating one-on-one intensive rehabilitation programs with physical therapists as well as small group rehabilitation programs.

Through this, activities such as the ‘Nowon Premium Road Walking Together’ event and arranging self-help groups for people with disabilities are promoted to encourage their outdoor activities. Collaboration among local hospitals, universities, and public-private-academic sectors is also being strengthened to increase participant satisfaction.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok stated, “The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic is threatening the health of people with disabilities,” and added, “We will provide integrated rehabilitation treatment and health management to ensure that people with disabilities do not face difficulties due to low medical accessibility.”

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