Care work is challenging for both those in need of services and the workers themselves. It is difficult for those needing care to find "customized services," and care workers struggle to overcome the demanding workload.

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The Seoul Metropolitan Government is stepping up to reduce the barriers for those in need of care and improve the working conditions of care workers. On the 9th, Seoul City announced, "We will begin implementing the ’Seoul Care Service Publicity Enhancement Plan’ to ensure that local communities can quickly provide care services when citizens need them."

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The core of this plan is divided into addressing care blind spots, establishing dedicated care support organizations, creating happy workplaces for care workers, and providing convenient care services. The city explained, "We will provide adequate care and create a safe care ecosystem," with a budget of 868.6 billion won allocated over five years.

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First, to provide convenient care services, accessibility will be improved, and a customized support approach will be introduced. A specialized care consultation call center, "Safe Care 120," will begin trial operations next month.

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In the future, citizens who need care services can call the 120 Dasan Call Center and press a specific number (to be established in October) to be connected to a dedicated consultant. The consultant will promptly guide them to the most suitable information and organizations in a "customized" manner.

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The city acknowledged, "It has indeed been inconvenient for citizens in need of care to learn about support policies," and added, "Most care users are the elderly or people with physical difficulties, who tend to have low digital proficiency, making this service even more necessary."

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Seoul will also establish a hotline with certified care institutions and specialized support institutions for severely disabled individuals to provide quick services to the elderly and disabled, who are often avoided by the private sector.

If phone consultations are difficult to understand, citizens can visit the Care Integrated Support Center. The center, which aims to be established and trialed next year, will serve as an integrated care consultation window in the local area. Seoul City Welfare Director Jeong Sang-hoon said, "The elderly and disabled want to receive care where they have been living," and emphasized, "We will ensure that users can easily and conveniently receive customized services."

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Efforts will also be made to minimize care blind spots, which tend to occur for low-income, high-need elderly and disabled individuals. For elderly people with severe dementia or large body sizes, who are difficult to care for, the city will connect them with certified care institutions to prevent avoidance. Seoul explained, "We will provide a two-person care team for elderly individuals who are difficult for one caregiver to manage alone, and the city will support additional labor costs for up to four hours a day." A specialized support institution will also be established to provide continuous care for severely disabled individuals who cannot live independently.

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The city will also create a safe working environment for care workers. To reduce the workload of care workers and prevent musculoskeletal disorders, the city will support wearable robots for excretion care and smart cognitive programs for dementia patients.

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Wearable robots will help reduce the physical burden on caregivers by allowing them to wear devices that assist with body movements. The city plans to introduce 50 wearable robots for excretion care and 8 robots for specialized support institutions in a pilot program, with plans for expansion.

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Furthermore, Seoul will establish and operate a dedicated care support organization, the "Social Service Support Center," under the Seoul Welfare Foundation starting next month.

Until now, Seoul has supported private institutions and facilities through the Seoul Social Service Center (Seosawon). The city stated, "As Seosawon mainly operated by directly providing services, it did not fully fulfill its role in supporting private institutions," and added, "The Social Service Support Center will guarantee the public nature of private services and specialize in providing care service consultation and education."

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Director Jeong said, "We will ensure that any citizen who desires care receives high-quality care, and create a safe care environment for everyone, including care service providers and workers."