Ministry seeks home-care centers for pilot program to help elderly regain independence

The Ministry of Health and Welfare is accepting applications from home medical centers to participate in a pilot program aimed at helping elderly people with mobility difficulties live independently at home. The application period runs Monday through Nov. 20.

The pilot program — formally titled the Long-Term Care Home Independence Training Pilot Project — aims to provide short-term, intensive in-home training so that elderly recipients can perform daily activities on their own in their actual living spaces, including moving from bed and using the bathroom.

Eligible participants are long-term care home recipients whose doctors at home medical centers have determined need independence training due to observed functional decline in activities such as transferring from bed, using the bathroom, walking indoors and going outside.

Physical and occupational therapists at participating institutions will assess each elderly person's physical condition, set goals and then deliver tailored independence training services — including daily activity training, basic physical function exercises and home environment adjustments.

Clinics, hospitals, regional public medical centers and public health centers currently designated as home medical centers and operating under the dedicated model are eligible to apply.

To join the pilot, participating institutions must hire at least one full-time physical therapist or occupational therapist in addition to their existing home medical team of doctors, nurses and social workers.

Participating institutions must provide at least 40 minutes of home independence training per visit and will receive a reimbursement rate of 70,000 won ($52) per session. Recipients may use the service up to 10 times per month for up to 120 consecutive days from the start of service, with out-of-pocket costs determined by their long-term care co-payment rate.

Home medical centers wishing to join the pilot must submit an application form, an operations plan and other required documents to the National Health Insurance Service through their local municipal or county government or public health center by 6 p.m. Thursday.

The full recruitment notice is available on the Ministry of Health and Welfare website under Notices in the Announcements section.

The ministry will review submitted documents, taking into account required staffing, operational track record and whether therapists have been secured, before designating participating institutions in late November. The pilot program is set to begin in early December.

Choe Bong-geun, the ministry's director general for elderly policy, said the pilot program is intended to help elderly long-term care recipients move beyond simply receiving care and toward performing daily activities on their own and living independently. "We ask capable institutions to participate actively so that our elderly can enjoy a healthy later life in the places they have always called home," Choe said.