[The Era of 10 Million Elderly](17) Kneeling for Examination and Printing Prescriptions with Portable Printer... Home Medical Visit Scene

Visiting Patients at Home for Medical Care... Advice on Lifestyle Habits
"For Those Who Need Care but Have Difficulty Visiting Hospitals"
"Comprehensive Approach Important... Non-Medical Staff Like Nutritionists Also Accompany"

On the afternoon of the 24th, around 3 PM, at a detached house on the foothills of Wollongsan in Paju-si, Gyeonggi Province. This remote location is so isolated that it takes more than five minutes by car to reach a mart. A compact car arrived. When Director Song Dae-hoon of Yonsei Songnaenae Clinic, wearing a white gown, and nurse Lee Ji-min got out of the car, Mr. Lee Jae-hwan (73, male), who was watering the garden vegetable patch, greeted them. Mr. Lee applied for the National Health Insurance Service’s home medical care service in 2022 for his 100-year-old father, Lee Geum-ryeol, who suffers from cerebral infarction, dementia, and dermatitis. Director Song visits regularly once a month and checks the patient’s condition through phone calls as needed.

At around 3 p.m. on the 24th, at a detached house on the foothills of Wollong Mountain in Paju-si, Gyeonggi Province, Dr. Song Dae-hoon, director of Yonsei Song Internal Medicine Clinic, is visiting a patient's home to check their condition.
Photo by Choi Tae-won peaceful1@

While the nurse set up some simple medical instruments and measured Lee Geum-ryeol’s blood pressure, Director Song began the medical interview by asking, "Did you take the medication I prescribed last time well?" He told Mr. Lee, "You are eating by yourself and dressing yourself, your condition looks good."

Director Song checked the patient’s body for any pressure sores, measured the temperature of his hands and feet, and then prescribed medication. He explained to Mr. Lee, the son, "There is no major problem, but the biggest concern is that he cannot move around much. You need to help your father move his body as much as possible to prevent his condition from worsening. Even if his hands tremble and he spills food, let him eat by himself, and when he goes to the bathroom, do not push the wheelchair but support him from the side so he can walk on his own."

After the consultation, the nurse printed the prescription using a portable printer and handed it to the caregiver, concluding the approximately 30-minute home visit. Mr. Lee said, "Even when it’s not a regular visit, if my father’s condition is not good, the nurse comes first to check his status, and if necessary, Director Song visits, which gives me peace of mind."

At around 3 p.m. on the 24th, at a detached house on the foothills of Wollong Mountain in Paju-si, Gyeonggi Province. While a nurse was measuring the patient's blood pressure, Dr. Song Dae-hoon of Yonsei Song Internal Medicine was asking the guardian about the patient's condition.
Photo by Choi Tae-won peaceful1@

Director Song participated in the National Health Insurance Service’s “Home Visit Pilot Project” in 2019 and is also involved in the “Long-term Care Home Medical Center Pilot Project” started by the NHIS in December 2022, providing home medical care services. He said, "Regular medical care is necessary, but I conduct home visits for patients who cannot come to the hospital."

Director Song emphasized that the most important aspect of home medical care is a comprehensive approach. He said, "The purpose of home medical care is largely 'care' and 'maintenance of physical function' to prevent deterioration. To achieve this, it is necessary to manage not only the disease itself but also the surrounding environment and dietary habits." He added, "We go beyond just examining and prescribing medication for home patients; we consider housing, meals, and emotional care so that patients can maintain their daily lives at home as close to normal as possible."

For this purpose, non-medical personnel sometimes accompany medical staff on home visits. Director Song said, "For a comprehensive approach, when necessary during home visits, nutritionists, occupational therapists, and social workers accompany us. They provide diets for health, occupational therapy to maintain physical function, and guide caregivers to welfare services they might not have known about."