Samcheok-si, High Satisfaction with 'Senior Hospital Companion Service'

Gangwon-do Strengthens Elderly Care Starting This Year in 14 Cities and Counties
Reuse Rate Exceeds 80%... Highly Praised by Both Seniors and Caregivers

"It is great that I don't need to take a day off to take my mother, who has difficulty moving, to the hospital."

Children caring for parents with dementia or physical difficulties often find one of the biggest challenges in caregiving is having to pause their work and accompany their parents to the hospital. In reality, there is little for the children to do at the hospital?just registering, escorting the parent to the examination room, waiting, and then taking them back home. This simple task is mentally exhausting because it interrupts their livelihood.

An elderly person in Samcheok City, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, is visiting a hospital using the 'Elderly Hospital Companion Service.' Photo by Samcheok City Hall

Samcheok City (Mayor Park Sang-su) in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province has been running the "Senior Hospital Escort Service" since June, which has received positive feedback from both seniors and their caregivers.

The "Senior Hospital Escort Service" is a project implemented in 14 cities and counties within Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province starting in 2024 to strengthen elderly care. Samcheok City provides this hospital escort service to seniors aged 65 and older who have difficulty using hospitals due to the absence of family or companions, through an agreement with the social cooperative "Jageunbit."

The service targets home-dwelling seniors aged 65 or older in Samcheok City who require hospital visits. It offers support such as accompaniment during travel between home and hospital, hospital registration and payment assistance, escorting within the hospital, prescription and medication pickup, and medication guidance.

When using the Senior Hospital Escort Service, transportation costs must be borne by the user. The service fee is 5,000 KRW per hour for general users, and 1,000 KRW per hour for basic livelihood security recipients and near-poverty groups, with additional fees applied separately.

A caregiver in Samcheok City with a mother who has difficulty moving expressed satisfaction with the service, saying, "I used to have to take leave from work every time my mother needed to go to the hospital, but the Senior Hospital Escort Service has been a great help."

Another user who initially opposed applying for the service, believing their parent could go to the hospital alone, said after using the service, "It would have been difficult to go alone for the examination and to pick up medicine," and added, "I want to use the escort service again for the next appointment."

A representative from the social cooperative Jageunbit in Samcheok City stated, "We provide caregivers with information about test results, diagnoses, and medication instructions, which is appreciated by caregivers who previously had difficulty receiving accurate information from their parents," and added, "More than 80% of seniors have reused the service, indicating high satisfaction."