Mapo-gu launches drive to find residents missing out on integrated care support

Mapo-gu is conducting an intensive drive through Nov. 30 to identify residents who need care but have not been receiving services — often because they are unaware of available programs — and connect them with tailored support.

The district's integrated care program links residents who need assistance with health care, nursing, daily living support and residential services so they can continue living in their own homes and familiar neighborhoods.

The program is open to residents 65 and older who have difficulty maintaining daily life due to frailty, accidents, illness or disability, as well as people under 65 with severe physical or brain lesion disabilities. Eligibility is assessed based on care needs rather than income or assets.

Services include housekeeping — cleaning, laundry and meal preparation — as well as dosirak and side-dish delivery, and in-home bathing and hair care. For residents with limited mobility, the district also provides escort services covering hospital transportation, registration, payment and the return trip home.

In-home visits are available to help residents manage their health and rehabilitation. Exercise specialists visit to run personalized fitness programs, while traditional medicine doctors and physical therapists call on residents to assist with pain management and recovery.

The district has recently expanded its scope to include nutritional support and home safety improvements. Residents recovering from hospitalization can receive nutritional supplement drinks, and the district installs safety grab bars and gas shutoff devices and repairs washbasins and light switches.

In October, the district sent notices to 2,649 residents identified as priority candidates — including recipients of long-term care home benefits, those whose long-term care applications were rejected or dismissed, and elderly people with disabilities — and informed them of consultation and application procedures.

Residents who received a notice, as well as their family members, can visit their local community center to consult and apply. Those who did not receive a notice but believe they need support are also encouraged to contact their nearest community center.

The district is also calling on the wider community to get involved. Anyone who knows a neighbor struggling to live alone after a hospital discharge, or who needs help with meals, hygiene or other daily tasks, can report the situation to the nearest community center or the Mapo-gu Office's Integrated Care Division.

"If daily life has become a burden due to health problems, or if family members alone cannot manage the care needed, I encourage residents to first consult their nearest community center," District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun said. "We will carefully assess what kind of help each resident needs and provide support so they can live safely in their own homes and neighborhoods."