The view of the Sangyeok Office Complex of Daegu City Hall. Provided by Daegu City.
Daegu City announced on the 5th that starting this year, it will be converting the “Emergency Care Service for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities” into a permanent program. This service provides temporary 24-hour care for individuals with developmental disabilities when their guardians are unable to look after them due to emergencies.
According to Daegu City, this service had been operated as a pilot project by the Ministry of Health and Welfare from June 2023 until last year. The number of users in the previous year was 225 (accumulating to 268), the highest among the 17 emergency care centers for individuals with developmental disabilities nationwide. Additionally, the re-utilization rate, referring to users who return to use the service again, was high at 58%.
An individual with developmental disabilities from a single-parent family, referred to as Person A, was the 200th user of this service. Person A sought the center’s help because their guardian was hospitalized with a leg fracture from a car accident and there was no one else to provide care. Daegu City explained that while Person A stayed at the center, they received support for daily activities, participated in leisure activities, had meals, and received overnight care.
The emergency care center provides up to 7 days of care services for individuals with developmental disabilities whose caregivers are unavailable due to hospitalization, treatment, personal events, or psychological burnout. The service can be accessed at any time in urgent situations.
The service is available for registered individuals with developmental disabilities between the ages of 6 and 65. For inquiries, contact the Daegu Center for Developmental Disabilities Support or the Daegu Emergency Care Center for Developmental Disabilities.
Kim Tae-woon, Director of Health and Welfare at Daegu City, stated, “Based on our experience with the pilot project, we will work to implement a more robust emergency care program and do our best to alleviate the caregiving burdens of families with members who have developmental disabilities.”