Incheon Social Service Institute to Operate Comprehensive Home Care Center and Public Facilities Starting January Next Year

Employees of Inbok Dream Comprehensive Home Care Center Bupyeong Center, which will open in January next year, are having a meeting.
[Photo provided by Incheon Social Service Institute]

원본보기 아이콘

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The recently launched Incheon Social Service Agency is taking steps to strengthen the public nature of social services by starting operations of two comprehensive home care centers and four national and public facilities.

The Social Service Agency, a project promoted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, is being established in 16 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide with the aim of strengthening the public nature of social services, improving the treatment of social welfare workers, and enhancing professionalism and service quality. The Incheon Social Service Agency was established as the ninth nationwide through the expansion and reorganization of the Incheon Welfare Foundation.

First, the Incheon Social Service Agency will begin operating two comprehensive home care centers in Bupyeong-gu and Ganghwa-do early next year.

The comprehensive home care centers provide services such as home care, housekeeping care, customized elderly care, visiting nursing, disability activity support, and emergency care for the elderly and disabled.

The Bupyeong Center is specialized in nursing and is responsible for housekeeping care, elderly care, visiting nursing, and disability activity support services. The Ganghwa Center provides basic services such as visiting care, housekeeping care, and elderly care. Bupyeong and Ganghwa established comprehensive home care centers ahead of other regions, reflecting their regional characteristics.

Bupyeong-gu has the largest elderly population among the 10 districts, with about 72,000 elderly and 27,000 disabled residents. Additionally, there are about 51,000 basic pension recipients, accounting for 71% of the total elderly population in Bupyeong-gu. The number of visiting care institutions is 170, the second highest after Namdong-gu. However, there are only about nine institutions providing visiting nursing.

Ganghwa-gun is one of the fastest aging areas in Incheon, with the elderly accounting for 32.6% of the total population, approximately 22,000 people.

The Incheon Social Service Agency also manages and operates four national and public facilities, including the residential facility for severely disabled persons 'Michuhol Pureunae,' the 'Dahamtge Dolbom Center,' daycare centers, and the Aging Society Response Center.

Michuhol Pureunae is a facility that provides residential space, daily life support, and community life assistance for disabled persons who have difficulty receiving care at home for a certain period. It is also planned to be used as a community hub for disability awareness education to help residents naturally interact with disabled persons.

The Dahamtge Dolbom Center, opening in Seo-gu in January next year, will provide care services for elementary school students from grades 1 to 6. The Aging Society Response Center will start operations in January next year, and the national and public daycare center in Gyeyang-gu will begin entrusted operations in the first half of next year.

The Incheon Social Service Agency will also develop a standard model for social services centered on these facilities and study ways to improve quality. It will research the actual conditions of workers and use the findings as a standard for facility operation.

The Incheon Social Service Agency plans to operate about 20 facilities, including four comprehensive home care centers and national and public facilities, by 2024. In addition, it plans to continue communication with citizens by operating various citizen participation activities and support programs for private facilities.

Yoo Haesook, Director of the Incheon Social Service Agency, stated, "We will foster comprehensive home care centers and entrusted facilities as hubs for integrated community care and develop and promote an Incheon-type care service model based on this."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.