Gwangju district tests care robots to support people with severe disabilities

Gwangju’s Seo District is testing whether robots can ease the burden on families caring for people with severe illnesses or disabilities. The district selected four households for a pilot program linked to the National Rehabilitation Center under the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

From this month through November, the project will analyze each participant’s living environment, physical characteristics and care needs. It will then provide customized robots for people classified as requiring the highest level of long-term care.

The devices will support toileting, movement inside the home, pressure-sore prevention and muscle strengthening. They may help a person move from a bed to a wheelchair for meals or change the position of someone who has remained in bed for a long period.

The district plans to evaluate whether the robots provide practical help to caregiving families and identify problems and improvements that emerge during use. It will also connect the pilot with existing services, including a 24-hour emergency response team, a discharge-support program and low-cost taxis for people with limited access to medical care.

A district official said the trial aims to reduce the burden of caring for people with severe conditions or disabilities and help them remain at home rather than move to care facilities. Seo District is also developing ways to expand smart home-care services so residents can live safely where they already reside.

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This pilot aims to reduce the caregiving burden for people with severe illnesses or disabilities and help them remain at home rather than move to care facilities.