Aging of persons with disabilities... What is matter with it?

- An extraction from Monthly KODAF Policy Report V. 391(2020)

Korea's aging rate is the fastest among OECD countries. In particular, the aging of PwD is much faster than the aging of the non-disabled population, and the proportion of people with disabilities aged 65 or older in 2017 had reached 46.6%. Among them, the elderly with disabilities fall into the welfare blind spot where they are alienated both sides from the elderly and the disabled.

Fact is the Disability Activity Support Service (a personal assistance service)  would be stopped at age 65.

The policies and services of the disabled and senior citizens are segmented and this is causing the difficulty of reducing the total amount of services due to the fact that PwD over 65- year-old have to move to a different category in the welfare service automatically.

According to the Act on Assistance for Persons with Disabilities, a maximum of 300 hours of activity support services could be received a month, but after the age of 65, the Elderly Long-Term Care Insurance Law was applied instead, then service hours is cut down to 100 hours a month, furthermore it is a visit-care service that quite different than the activity support service. 

Problems and solutions will be provided. Please visit the site; http://kodaf.or.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=B21&wr_id=501 and download the pdf.