Busan City Strengthens Care for People with Developmental Disabilities... Full-Scale Launch of 'Emergency and Severe Integrated Care' Next Year

Full-Scale Implementation Accelerated for This Year's First 'Integrated Care Service Project for Severely Disabled Developmental Disorder Patients'

Both Services Available Regardless of Income Level... Minimizing Care Gaps and Reducing Family Burden

Busan City is set to actively promote the 'Emergency Care Project for People with Developmental Disabilities' and the 'Integrated Care Service Project for Severely Disabled People with Developmental Disabilities' to strengthen care for individuals with developmental disabilities.

The 'Emergency Care Project for People with Developmental Disabilities' provides temporary 24-hour care services in urgent situations such as hospitalization, family events, or physical and psychological exhaustion of caregivers of people with developmental disabilities.

This project was operated as a pilot program by the Ministry of Health and Welfare last year and this year (2023?2024), and it is scheduled to transition into a full-scale project in 2025 for continuous operation.

Currently, emergency care centers with a capacity of 4 males and 4 females are established in Geumjeong-gu, providing care services.

The support targets registered people with developmental disabilities aged 6 to under 65 years. Services can be used for up to 7 days per session and a maximum of 30 days annually. Care plans are developed to provide temporary care services that maintain the user's daily life patterns while meeting the individual characteristics and needs of each person with developmental disabilities.

Services can be applied for by calling the Busan City Developmental Disabilities Support Center or the Busan City Emergency Care Center, and advance reservations are also possible.

The 'Integrated Care Service Project for Severely Disabled People with Developmental Disabilities' targets those with severe disabilities, including challenging behaviors, who are in blind spots of care. It provides one-on-one care services according to their needs and support requirements.

As a new project in 2024, there are three types of services: 24-hour individual one-on-one care supporting both daytime activities and residential services in individual and group formats; daytime individual one-on-one care; and daytime group one-on-one care.

Fourteen service providers for each type are expected to be established within the year, with plans to gradually expand the number of providers.

The support targets severely disabled people with developmental disabilities aged 18 to under 65. The support period is up to 5 years for individual-type projects (24-hour individual and daytime individual), and the daytime group type can be renewed every 3 years. Each selected user will receive dedicated care services from one assigned staff member.

Applications for services can be made at the resident’s local eup/myeon/dong administrative welfare center. Eligibility and support type are determined through a home visit selection survey by the regional Developmental Disabilities Support Center and review by the Service Deliberation Committee.

Both services are available to any person with developmental disabilities and their caregivers who meet the service support requirements, regardless of income.

The ‘Emergency Care Service for People with Developmental Disabilities’ costs 15,000 KRW per day for usage and 15,000 KRW for meals (out of the total 30,000 KRW, 15,000 KRW is supported by the center).

The ‘Integrated Care Service for Severely Disabled People with Developmental Disabilities’ has no usage fee, though actual cost-level charges may apply if necessary.

Byungcheol Bae, Director of the Social Welfare Bureau, stated, “Through various care policies, we hope that more people with developmental disabilities will receive care services, minimizing care gaps and reducing the caregiving burden on their families.” He added, “We will continue to do our best to eliminate care blind spots for people with developmental disabilities and provide customized care services.”

Busan City Hall.

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