Starting Next Month, Two 'Dementia Relief Hospitals' to Operate in Incheon... First in the Seoul Metropolitan Area

Incheon City Hall

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Starting from the 1st of next month, two 'Dementia Safety Hospitals' dedicated to the treatment and management of patients with severe dementia will be operational in Incheon.

Incheon City announced that it will designate and operate the Incheon 1st and 2nd Municipal Elderly Dementia Nursing Hospitals as Dementia Safety Hospitals, the first such designation in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Dementia Safety Hospitals are medical institutions selected by the Ministry of Health and Welfare among public nursing hospitals equipped with facilities, equipment, and personnel to professionally treat patients with severe dementia who exhibit behavioral and psychological symptoms (such as violence and delusions associated with dementia) and delirium, which are difficult to manage at home.

Currently, seven such hospitals are operating in non-metropolitan areas including Gyeongbuk, Daejeon, Gwangju, Chungbuk, and Jeju.

In Incheon, the 1st Municipal Elderly Dementia Nursing Hospital (Seo-gu) and the 2nd Municipal Elderly Dementia Nursing Hospital (Gyeyang-gu) will each operate Dementia Safety Hospitals with 37 and 46 beds respectively.

According to the Dementia Management Act, to be selected as a Dementia Safety Hospital, a medical institution must meet the standards for dementia patient-exclusive facilities separated from general patients.

The Incheon 2nd Municipal Elderly Dementia Nursing Hospital expanded its dementia-specialized ward with 46 beds across one basement floor and three above-ground floors, equipped with 39 types of medical equipment and specialized medical personnel.

Additionally, the 1st Municipal Elderly Dementia Nursing Hospital, selected last year for the 'Public Building Green Remodeling' project, completed indoor air quality improvement construction in March this year for its existing dementia-specialized ward with 37 beds, meeting the designation criteria.

The target patients for admission are those with behavioral and psychological symptoms and delirium accompanying dementia, who require short-term intensive treatment within three months with the goal of returning home or to the community. They will receive individualized management and customized case management from before admission through after discharge.

Kim Seokcheol, Director of the Health and Welfare Bureau of Incheon City, said, "With the designation of Dementia Safety Hospitals, dementia patients who have been receiving treatment at psychiatric medical institutions and nursing hospitals will be able to receive more specialized treatment and management."

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