'Nursing staff on duty even at night'... Seoul Metropolitan Government operates 24-hour care for people with severe disabilities

[Financial News] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is piloting a 24-hour medical and care support system for people with severe disabilities, with nursing and care staff stationed there even at night and on holidays. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 8th that Youngnak Ania's House, a residential facility for people with severe disabilities located in Yongsan District, has been selected as an implementing agency for the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW)'s '2026 Pilot Project for Medical-Intensive Residential Facilities for the Disabled.' Accordingly, starting this coming October, 10 additional personnel, including 4 nurses and 6 care staff, will be deployed to provide 24-hour professional medical and care services.
The pilot project for medical-intensive residential facilities for the disabled is a program that provides 24-hour specialized medical and care services to severely disabled individuals who struggle with daily life and health management due to the aging and increasing severity of their conditions. Existing residential facilities for the disabled had limitations in that medical and nursing staff were primarily stationed during business hours, requiring reliance on 119 ambulance services in the event of nighttime emergencies.
Currently, 31 people live at Youngnak Ania's House. Among them, 28 have both brain lesions and intellectual disabilities, requiring constant medical support such as suctioning, fever management, and oxygen saturation measurement. The number of times medical services, including outpatient visits, emergency medical care, and procedures, were utilized also increased from 625 times in 2022 to 797 times last year.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is investing a total of 1.02 billion won in this pilot project, with 510 million won each from the national and city budgets. Of this amount, 220 million won will be used for additional personnel costs, while 800 million won will be used for facility remodeling and the expansion of medical equipment.
With the deployment of additional personnel, four nurses have been added to the existing two medical and nursing staff, bringing the total to six people handling medical and nursing duties. Six additional care staff have also been deployed to provide 24-hour care services, including nights and holidays.
The facility environment will also be improved to meet the medical and care needs of people with severe disabilities. The men's living quarters will be reorganized from the existing three five-person rooms into seven rooms accommodating one to three people. Ceiling-mounted hoists will be installed in the living quarters and shower rooms to prevent falls that may occur when moving users on beds or wheelchairs, and to reduce the physical burden on staff. Isolation rooms and infirmaries will also be established to respond to infectious diseases.
This project is an extension of the environmental improvement project for residential facilities for the disabled, following the '2530 Seoul City Daily Vitality Project for the Disabled' announced by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon last year. Since 2024, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has been supporting environmental improvements at nine residential facilities for the disabled, including the creation of home-style units and dedicated care spaces for the elderly with disabilities.
Jeong Jin-woo, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Welfare Office, stated, "For people with severe disabilities, medical care and care are essential support that must be provided together to maintain their daily lives." He added, "Through this pilot project, we will create a leading model for residential facilities that responds to the medical and care needs of the severely disabled and strengthen support so that users and their families can live ordinary lives with peace of mind."

[email protected] Seongchorong Reporter