Yeongdeungpo-gu Selected for Excellence Award in Administrative and Policy Cases for 'Caregiver Family Rest System'

Excellence Award in ‘Caregiver Family Rest System’ at Korea Public Policy Evaluation Association Competition
Providing rest to caregiving families burdened with sole caregiving or in care blind spots...Significance of establishing a ‘Care System Centered on Local Governments’...Aiming for nationwide expansion to benefit all elderly households and prepare for the super-aged era

Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) announced that it won the “Excellence Award” at the “2024 Outstanding Administrative and Policy Case Selection Contest” held on the 12th for the “Caregiver Family Rest System,” which provides care to families of elderly people suffering from dementia or senile diseases.

Organized by the Korea Public Policy Evaluation Association, this contest has been held since 2013 targeting local governments, government agencies, and public institutions to select and widely publicize successful administrative and policy cases that contribute to national competitiveness and the improvement of citizens’ quality of life.

The evaluation criteria include originality, efficiency, responsiveness, appropriateness of means, outcomes, and sustainability of the administration and policies. The final awardees are selected through the review of a judging panel composed of scholars in public administration and field experts.

Among the 96 outstanding administrative and policy cases submitted this year, the “Caregiver Family Rest System” received high praise from the judges for empowering and encouraging families caring for elderly people who bear the burden of sole caregiving and for establishing a caregiver protection system centered on local governments.

Mayor Choi Ho-kwon, who obtained a caregiver qualification certificate immediately after retiring from public service where he served for 30 years, has a deep interest in caregiver issues. The project, which started last year to provide even just a few hours of rest per week to families who are “sole caregivers,” currently has about 720 care volunteer teams active and has provided around 620 care services so far.

The care volunteer teams, composed of pairs, visit families in need of care and carry out activities such as ▲health checks ▲support for cognitive improvement and leisure activities ▲companionship, walking, and accompanying outings, providing rest to caregiving families and addressing blind spots in community care.

The district is expanding the number of beneficiaries and programs to enhance the achievements of the “Caregiver Family Rest System” and establish it as a successful welfare model. In the future, it plans to propose the system to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Seoul City so that all elderly households in South Korea can benefit.

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “In the era of super-aged society, I hope the ‘Caregiver Family Rest System’ will expand nationwide to bring happiness to the elderly and rest to caregiving families,” adding, “We will spread the Yeongdeungpo-type caregiver protection system so that more people across the country can benefit and it can be established as a part of South Korea’s care system.”