As South Korea fully enters an aging society, the issue of medical gaps following discharge has been highlighted, and a symposium will be held to explore solutions for transitional care and home hospice.
The Korean Home Healthcare Association announced it will host the "2025 Spring Symposium" themed "Transitional Care and Home Hospice: Challenges and Collaborations for Sustainable Home Healthcare" on April 20 at the Samjeong Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul.
Recently, the length of hospital stays has decreased, while the number of elderly individuals and those with multiple chronic diseases continues to rise. Consequently, the importance of "transitional care"—which helps patients safely receive treatment at home—has grown, but there are concerns that the domestic medical system is still lacking in areas such as post-discharge home treatment, self-management support, and community linkage.
Social discussions regarding "home hospice"—which helps patients dignify their final moments at home instead of in a hospital—are also urgent. This symposium will also look into the future of home hospice.
Park Geon-woo, chairman of the Korean Home Healthcare Association, noted, "Home healthcare is not merely about treatment outside the hospital but is an essential process in enhancing patients' quality of life and establishing a sustainable healthcare system," adding that he hopes this symposium will serve as an opportunity for the medical community and policymakers to derive practical solutions to expand transitional care and home hospice.
For those wishing to participate in the symposium, pre-registration is available from March 17 to April 18 on the official website of the Korean Home Healthcare Association (www.khhca.org). The registration fee is 50,000 won for general participants (60,000 won for on-site registration), and 20,000 won for residents and students.