The number of occupationnal category which entails an obligation to report abuse against older persons will be expanded from the current 8 to 14, and relevant legislations will be amended to have ground rules for mandatory education for workers at medical welfare facilities for the aged.
Moreover the "announcement on the long-term care benefits, etc." will be completely revised to provide standardized criteria for long-term care serve in a bid to improvement of quality of the service.
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea(Chairperson, Lee Sung-ho) made a recommendation to prevent abuse against residents at medical welfare facilities for the aged and protection of their human rights, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare accepted the recommendation and announced the above mentioned plan.
In November 2014, the NHRCK made policy recommendation to the Minister of Health and Welfare to protect human rights of users of medical welfare facilities for aged as there were various issues including excessive supply of facilities, excessive competition between private institutions, low quality of long-term care service and frequent abuse against older persons in facilities.
Percentage of occurrence of abuse at facilities including medical welfare facilities rose from 2.3% in 2005 to 7.1% in 204. In addition, only 18.3% of those with obligation to report abuse actually made report, while 78.4% of perpetrators of abuse is people who are working at relevant institutions.
Meanwhile, the NHRCK, as part of efforts to promote and protect human rights of the aged, plans to host the ASEM Conference on Global Ageing and Human Rights of Older Persons which was approved at the 10th ASEM Summit in 2014. The Conference aims to consider legislations, policies and government's efforts for promotion and protection of human rights in a bid to seek measures for cooperation among Asia, Europe, and international institutions.
