Seoul to launch 24-hour care system for people with severe disabilities

People with severe disabilities will soon receive round-the-clock care in a home-like setting rather than a medical institution.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that a 24-hour medical and care support system will begin a pilot run in October at Youngnak Ania House, a residential facility for people with severe disabilities in Yongsan-gu. Under the pilot, nursing and care staff will be on site around the clock, including nights and holidays. Residential facilities for people with disabilities are designed to provide housing, recuperation and support services for those who cannot live in ordinary households, while also helping residents participate in community life.

Youngnak Ania House was selected as an implementing institution for the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 2026 intensive medical care pilot program. The program targets people with severe disabilities who face significant difficulties in daily living and health management due to aging and the progression of their conditions, providing them with specialized 24-hour medical and care services. The Ministry of Health and Welfare launched the pilot last year and began recruiting implementing institutions at that time.

Youngnak Ania House, founded in 1994, currently houses 31 residents — 14 men and 17 women. Most have brain lesion disabilities and require constant medical support, including suction care, fever management and blood oxygen monitoring. As part of the pilot, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will invest a total of 1.02 billion won ($760,000) to cover staffing costs for specialized personnel, facility renovations and the expansion of medical equipment.

Ten additional specialists — four nurses and six care workers — will be deployed starting in October, ensuring medical and care support is available at night and on holidays. The facility's physical environment will also be upgraded. To better protect residents' rights, privacy and daily comfort, the men's living quarters will be reconfigured from three five-person rooms into smaller units: two single rooms, two double rooms and three triple rooms.

Ceiling-mounted transfer devices, known as hoists, will be installed in parts of the living quarters and shower rooms. The equipment is intended to prevent fall injuries that can occur when moving residents between beds and wheelchairs, and to reduce musculoskeletal strain on staff. An isolation room and a medical room will also be newly built to allow the facility to respond to infectious disease outbreaks.

The pilot is part of a broader facility improvement initiative under the "2530 Seoul Disability Daily Vitality Project," which Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced last September. Since 2024, the city has supported environment upgrades at nine residential facilities for people with disabilities, including the creation of home-style units with one- or two-person rooms and dedicated care spaces for elderly residents with disabilities.

The guardian of a 38-year-old resident at Youngnak Ania House, identified only by the surname Kim, 68, said her child would now be able to "live more safely and healthily, receiving more specialized and stable medical and care services in an environment that feels like home."

Jeong Jin-woo, head of welfare at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said medical care and support services must go hand in hand to sustain the daily lives of people with severe disabilities. "Through this pilot program, we will build a leading model for residential facilities that can meet the medical and care needs of people with severe disabilities, and strengthen support so that residents and their families can go about an ordinary day with peace of mind," he said.