South Korean cities expand community dementia care initiatives

Local governments in South Korea are expanding community-based support systems for dementia patients and their families.

In Gwacheon, the city has designated Gwacheon-dong as a ‘Dementia Care Village’ to improve accessibility for its high elderly population. The initiative includes forming a resident-led operating committee and establishing ‘Dementia Care Affiliated Stores,’ such as pharmacies and convenience stores. These stores will be trained to assist patients with payments or provide temporary protection for those who become lost before contacting the police.

In Daejeon’s Jung-gu district, authorities are implementing a model to proactively register and support homebound dementia patients. The district held a capacity-building session for welfare facility managers and caregivers to strengthen public-private cooperation. Services offered to registered patients include medical expense support, provision of care supplies like diapers, customized case management, and the distribution of identification tags for patients prone to wandering.