“I don’t have to drag my sick body to the hospital.”
A home-visit medical service introduced by Nonsan City in South Chungcheong province is drawing strong response from residents with limited access to care. The program, a long-term care home medical center service for seniors with mobility problems, is being cited locally as a new model for public health care.
The service targets long-term care beneficiaries who have difficulty getting outpatient treatment. A team from Kim Hyeonjang Surgical Clinic, including medical staff and a social worker, visits patients at home to provide examinations and prescriptions, health monitoring, medication guidance and connections to care resources.
Doctors assess patients on site and issue prescriptions, while nurses explain day-to-day health management. Social workers link patients to needed care services, providing medical and welfare support together.
The city said the team also focuses on explaining results in detail to caregivers to help ease the burden of care.
Users have welcomed the service. One senior said, “It was hard to go to the hospital because I’m not well, and it helps a lot that they come to my home.” A caregiver said, “It’s reassuring and truly helpful when they visit and explain what’s needed.”
To reduce costs, the city supports part of the out-of-pocket payment for home visits. National Health Insurance subscribers pay 6,000 won, and Medical Aid recipients pay 2,000 won.
Nonsan City said it expects the program to help prevent conditions from worsening, reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and ease caregiver burdens, shifting care from hospital-centered treatment to support rooted in daily life.
A city official said home-visit care supports health and daily care in a person’s living space and plays a key role in improving access for residents who have difficulty traveling. The official said the city will continue expanding services by strengthening cooperation with local medical institutions.
The city’s experiment with “care that comes to you” is being watched as a possible new standard for regional public health care.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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