Policy Seminar on Integrated Care for Elderly People with Disabilities
The Korea Association of Welfare Centers for Persons with Disabilities, emphasizing the importance of integrated care services for the rapidly increasing elderly disabled population, held a policy seminar with the Ministry of Health and Welfare. This seminar aimed to address the welfare blind spots experienced by elderly people with disabilities and to reflect field voices in policy. The seminar was attended by officials from disability welfare centers nationwide, representatives from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and related experts, who engaged in in-depth discussions.
This policy seminar focused on exploring ways to provide integrated care services tailored to the characteristics and needs of elderly people with disabilities. In particular, it discussed ways to link various services, including medical care, nursing care, housing, and daily life support, for people with disabilities who face complex difficulties due to aging. The importance of strengthening the role of disability welfare centers and linking community resources was also emphasized.
Integrated Care Policy Reflects Voices from the Field
The seminar shared the vivid experiences and difficulties of elderly people with disabilities and their families. Participants conveyed the difficulties they face in the field and suggested various opinions for policy improvement. In particular, the lack of activity support services, difficulties in accessing medical care, and lack of information were identified as major problems. In response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare officials listened to the voices from the field and promised to actively reflect them in policy improvements.
An official from the Korea Association of Welfare Centers for Persons with Disabilities stated, "Through this seminar, we reaffirmed the difficulties of elderly people with disabilities and felt the need for policy improvement. We will continue to strive to reflect the voices from the field in policy in the future."
“Elderly people with disabilities face different difficulties than general elderly people. It is urgent to provide customized integrated care services that meet their characteristics and needs.” - Seminar Expert Attendee
Expansion of Customized Integrated Care Services for Elderly People with Disabilities
Based on the discussions at this seminar, the Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to prepare measures to expand customized integrated care services for elderly people with disabilities. Key considerations include:
- Expanding activity support service hours and expanding the target population
- Strengthening links with medical institutions and expanding home healthcare services
- Supporting residential environment improvements and strengthening safety management
- Strengthening education and promotion to improve information accessibility
In particular, starting in 2025, a new integrated care model for elderly people with disabilities will be developed and pilot projects will be promoted. This will support elderly people with disabilities to live healthily and happily in their communities. The goal is to expand nationwide in 2026 based on the results of the pilot project.
Future Tasks and Prospects
This seminar is expected to be an important turning point in the integrated care policy for elderly people with disabilities. However, the following tasks remain to ensure the effectiveness of the policy:
- Strengthening links with community resources: Building an integrated care system through cooperation with various organizations
- Training professional personnel: Securing and strengthening training for professional personnel in elderly disability care
- Securing finances: Securing sufficient budget for stable service provision
Hyunbit Media will continue to pay attention and make efforts to improve the welfare of all people with disabilities, including elderly people with disabilities. Check the latest information on disability welfare policies and join us in creating a better society. Visit the Hyunbit Media website now for more information.
“We will do our best to ensure that elderly people with disabilities can live with dignity in their communities.” - Ministry of Health and Welfare Official
