"24-Hour Medical Support"... Pilot Project for Medical-Intensive Residential Facilities for People with Disabilities Launched

Ministry of Health and Welfare to Select One Region
Medical-Intensive Residential Facility for People with Disabilities to Open as Early as December This Year

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on June 16 that it will launch a pilot project for "medical-intensive" residential facilities for people with disabilities, providing 24-hour medical services to elderly and severely disabled individuals.

Medical-intensive residential facilities for people with disabilities refer to residential facilities that provide 24-hour medical services to people with severe disabilities who face difficulties in daily life and health restrictions due to aging or the severity of their conditions. These facilities utilize residential spaces to offer services such as temporary accommodation, care, and support to people with disabilities who have difficulty living in ordinary households, while also supporting their integration into the local community.

Under the current standards for residential facilities for people with disabilities, it is difficult to provide medical services to those who require 24-hour intensive support. Therefore, the Ministry has developed a new model for medical-intensive residential facilities with different staffing and equipment standards, and has launched a pilot project to test this model.

Medical-intensive residential facilities for people with disabilities are required to deploy additional care staff, such as nurses, and must be equipped with the facilities and equipment necessary to provide 24-hour medical services to people with severe disabilities.

Metropolitan local governments wishing to participate in the pilot project must select a facility among the residential facilities for people with disabilities within their jurisdiction, and submit an application form and business plan to the Ministry of Health and Welfare by July 11.

The Ministry will select one region as the target for the pilot project and provide 558 million won in national funding to support personnel expenses for additional nurses and care staff, facility remodeling, and medical equipment. The selected region is expected to complete staffing and facility preparations and open the medical-intensive residential facility for people with disabilities as early as December 2025.

Son Hojun, Director of the Disability Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "Through this pilot project, we aim to strengthen health management for users of residential facilities for people with disabilities by providing professional nursing and care services to people with severe disabilities and to address gaps in medical service coverage. We will make every effort to ensure the successful launch and early stabilization of the pilot project."