Busan is good

Busan Expands “End-of-Life Reassurance Care Service”!

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The Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will expand eligibility for the “End-of-Life Reassurance Care Service,” a program designed to ensure a dignified death (well-dying) and peaceful final stage of life.

Under the expansion, patients referred by home hospice-specialized hospitals* will be eligible to receive care services regardless of their income or asset levels, provided they have no caregiver or experience a gap in care.

* Home hospice-specialized hospitals: Institutions where palliative care teams (physicians, nurses, social workers) provide in-home medical and psychological support to terminal patients.

○ In addition to patients referred by the City’s hospice palliative care centers, those referred by three designated home hospice hospitals—Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Busan Veterans Hospital, and Busan St. Mary’s Hospital—are now eligible for service.

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Busan became the first city in Korea to launch the “End-of-Life Reassurance Care Service” in March 2025. The program offers a comprehensive end-of-life care model by integrating:
▲daily care services ▲hospice care ▲public funeral services

The service fee is up to KRW 17,800 per hour. For recipients of basic and near-poverty benefits (those below 70% of the median income), the full cost is covered by the City.

○ The standard service duration is 4 hours per day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks (1 month), and can be extended to a maximum of 12 weeks (3 months) if necessary.

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Jeong Tae-ki, Director-General of Busan’s Social Welfare Bureau, stated,
“We expect this expanded service will greatly contribute to rebuilding social safety nets and spreading a warm, caring community.”

He added, “We will do our utmost to make Busan a ‘City of Reassurance’ where every citizen can feel secure until the final moments of life.”

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[Appendix] Program Overview

Background
○ To provide a complete end-of-life care model integrating hospice care, public funeral services, and in-home care for terminal patients.

※ Reference: Kim Yu-hwi (2025). Status and Issues in End-of-Life Social Services for Home-Based Elderly. Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs

• ●Existing care systems lacked services specifically targeting end-of-life elderly

• ●Standard home-visit care services are limited to 4 hours daily, insufficient to fully replace family caregiving

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Program Summary

○ Eligibility: Terminal patients (e.g., late-stage cancer) referred by the City’s hospice palliative care center or home hospice-specialized hospitals*
  *Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Busan Veterans Hospital, Busan St. Mary’s Hospital
  - Eligibility is not dependent on income or property; based on presence of a care gap or lack of caregivers

○ Services Offered:

• ●Daily Care: Cooking, cleaning, laundry, waste sorting, etc.

• ●Lifestyle Support: Escort to government offices and other assistance

• ●Health Maintenance: Medication guidance, physical activity, safety checks

• ●Emotional Support: Support to reduce anxiety and depression

• ●Personal Hygiene: Washing, oral care, grooming, etc.

  ※ Linked Services:
  - Hospice: Pain and symptom management, emotional care, connection to medical institutions, building support systems
  - Public Funeral: In cases of unclaimed individuals, ensure dignity and mourning through municipal funeral services

○ Service Providers: Long-term care institutions and local self-support centers designated by districts/counties

○ Service Fee: Up to KRW 17,800 per hour
  - Fully subsidized for those below 70% of the median income; co-payment applies to others