Seocho-gu Launches Intensive Survey to Eliminate Gaps in Integrated Care Coverage

Seoul's Seocho-gu will conduct an "integrated care recipient identification survey" from Aug. 18 through Oct. 16, proactively identifying residents in need of care and connecting them with tailored services, the district announced. District Mayor Jeon Seong-su is leading the initiative.

The survey targets residents who need care but are unaware of available programs or have fallen through the cracks of the existing system. Using National Health Insurance Service big data, the district will focus on more than 1,600 high-risk individuals — including those whose long-term care applications were rejected or dismissed, and those rated outside the qualifying threshold, over the past three years.

The district has been actively building an integrated care framework in line with the Act on Integrated Support for Local Care Including Medical Treatment and Long-term Care — commonly known as the Integrated Care Support Act — which took effect in March this year.

Residents identified through the survey will receive program guidance and consultations. Those confirmed to have care needs will be connected — through home visits and other assessments — to whichever of the 78 services across five fields they require: healthcare, health promotion, long-term care, general care and residential support.

The district operates a specialized care program called "Seocho On Dolbom" in partnership with the Seocho Welfare and Care Foundation to address a wide range of care needs.

The program delivers four services: daily care covering household chores, transportation and meals; space care providing customized residential environment improvements to prevent falls; vitality care offering personalized in-home exercise coaching tailored to each resident's physical condition; and a filial-visit medication management service supporting proper medication guidance for residents taking multiple drugs. The district also plans to continue collaborating with the Seocho District Pharmacists Association and local comprehensive social welfare centers to provide residents with a broad range of care services.

"Through this intensive identification survey, we will actively support integrated care recipients so they can receive the services they need in a timely manner," District Mayor Jeon said. "We will continue to strengthen a tight-knit care safety net so that residents who need care can maintain a healthy lifestyle in the familiar neighborhoods they call home, without having to leave."