"Spending Final Moments at Home Instead of Hospital"... Seongnam City Launches Full-Scale "My Home End-of-Life Care" Project

Agreement Signed with Five Medical Institutions and Organizations; Nationwide Expansion Planned

Mayor Shin Sang-jin: "Will Establish as a Model for Local Policy"

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Shin Sang-jin) announced on April 24 that it will begin full-scale implementation of the "My Home End-of-Life Care Project," the first of its kind in the country.

Seongnam City has officially launched the 'Lifetime End-of-Life Care at Home Project,' and Mayor Sangjin Shin visited the homes of the elderly beneficiaries to check on their health and offer encouragement. Photo by Seongnam City

This project supports terminally ill citizens who wish to receive medical and care services at home, rather than in a nursing home or hospital. Upon death, it also helps facilitate funeral procedures in connection with medical institutions.

Until now, the city has provided home medical services to bedridden patients with chronic illnesses who are basic livelihood security recipients, low-income individuals, or elderly people living alone. The new project will serve as a pilot to expand these services to all citizens.

If a citizen receiving Seongnam City's medical and care services under the "My Home End-of-Life Care" project passes away at home, a doctor from the affiliated medical institution who was responsible for home visits can issue a death certificate and proceed with the funeral process.

Normally, when a person dies at home, one must report the death by calling 112 (if death is clear) or 119 (if death is uncertain), after which the police must verify the scene and a prosecutor must give instructions before the body can be transported to a funeral hall. These procedures have made "dying at home" in practice a difficult option, as funerals often get delayed.

In response, Seongnam City plans to reduce such procedural inconveniences through the "My Home End-of-Life Care Project," so that citizens can spend their final moments in the comfort of their own familiar surroundings.

Seongnam City is signing a business agreement for the promotion of the "End-of-Life Care at Home Project" with the Seongnam Medical Association, Seongnam Medical Center, Saehan Best Clinic, Jib-euro Clinic, and Home Doctor Clinic in the first conference room on the 4th floor of the city hall on the 23rd. Provided by Seongnam City

Additionally, the city will propose to the government that procedures for home deaths be simplified and that the project be institutionalized, with the aim of scaling it nationwide.

The city will also maintain a cooperative system with local hospitals.

On April 23, Seongnam City signed a business agreement in the first conference room on the 4th floor of City Hall with the Seongnam Medical Association, Seongnam Medical Center, Saehan Best Clinic, Jiburo Clinic, and Home Doctor Clinic to promote the "My Home End-of-Life Care Project."

After the agreement was signed, Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin visited the home of an 82-year-old male resident of Sujin-dong, who is a participant in the "My Home End-of-Life Care" project, to check on his health and offer encouragement.

This elderly man suffered rib and sacral fractures from a fall at home in October last year and received hospital treatment. Since this month, he has continued his treatment at home through home visits by medical staff from one of the affiliated institutions.

Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin is visiting the homes of elderly people who are the subjects of the ‘My Home End-of-Life Care Project’ together with doctors from affiliated medical institutions to check their health status. Provided by Seongnam City

Mayor Shin Sang-jin stated, "Many citizens hope to spend their final moments not in a hospital, but at home, with their families and in dignity," adding, "We will work to establish a community-based medical and care system, as well as the end-of-life care project, as a model for local policy."

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