Minister Jeong Eun Kyeong Discusses Expansion of Home-Based Care Centers with Experts

- Meeting with pilot institutions of the Home-Based Long-Term Care Center Project -

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, Minister Jeong Eun Kyeong) announced that on Tuesday, September 23, at 7:30 a.m., Minister Jeong held an expert meeting on Home-Based Long-Term Care Centers at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul.

The meeting was convened to gather expert opinions and discuss strategies for expanding Home-Based Long-Term Care Centers nationwide without regional disparities, ahead of the full implementation of the Integrated Care System.

The pilot project for Home-Based Long-Term Care Centers deploys teams of doctors, nurses, and social workers to the homes of long-term care insurance beneficiaries, providing medical services and linking them to community care services as needed.

With the enforcement of the Act on the Integrated Support for Local Medical and Long-Term Care Services in March 2026, it will be essential for older adults to have access to sufficient medical services at home in order to continue living in their communities. Home-Based Care Centers are expected to play a key role in the Integrated Care System as essential medical infrastructure, helping to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and institutionalization.

Participants included MOHW Minister Jeong Eun Kyeong; Professor Lee Hye-jin of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital; Kim Deok-won, Director of Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Suwon Hospital; Jang Jin-su, Director of Seongdong-gu Community Health Center in Seoul; Kim Chang-oh, Director of Dolbom Clinic; and Jeong Hye-jin, Director of My Neighborhood 30-Minute Clinic.

Attendees underscored the growing importance of Home-Based Long-Term Care Centers in connecting medical and long-term care services under the Integrated Care System. They shared a wide range of opinions on tailored support for different types of participating institutions (clinics, local medical centers, community health centers, etc.), strategies to expand infrastructure across regions, and measures to strengthen training for care professionals.

Minister Jeong stated, “Through Home-Based Long-Term Care Centers, we will ensure that older adults can continue to live in their communities while receiving sufficient medical services at home. As we prepare for the upcoming implementation of the Integrated Care System, we will work to expand these centers nationwide in a sustainable way, fully reflecting voices from the field.”

- END -