These standards are stipulated according to paragraph 2 of Article 34 and paragraph 6 of Article 36 of the Senior Welfare Act( hereinafter referred to as “the Act”).

Senior citizen welfare institutions defined in these standards are categorized on the basis of care recipient as follows
(1).long-term care institutions: with the following three categories:
A. long-term care: services for senior citizens with long-term chronic diseases requiring nursing services.
B. nursing: services to senior citizens lack of capability to take care of himself or herself and in need of other’s caring, or senior citizens in need of nursing services such as nasogastric tube, gastrostomy tube, or catheter.
C. caring for dementia senior citizens: caring services to senior citizens who are diagnosed as middle degree dementia and capable of moving by himselves or herselves but needs caring services by doctors of neurology or psychiatry, or other.
(2).Domiciliary care institutions: services to senior citizens in need of care services from others, or senior citizens who can take care of himselves or herselves for daily life but without any relative with legal support obligation, or relative with legal support obligation but unable to fulfill this obligation.
(3).Other Senior Citizens’ Welfare Institutions: care for senior citizens requiring other welfare services.

Establishment of Senior Citizens’ Welfare Institutions should comply with the following rules:
(1).Designs, structure, and equipments of the building should comply with Building Law and related regulations.
(2).The maximum number of floors is limited to 10.
(3).Safety issues for fire control such as fire control equipments, fire control management, non-flame retardant substances should comply with Fire Act and related rules and regulations.
(4).The land to be used should comply with related regulations on land use control.
(5).Supply of drinking water should be sufficient and water quality should meet with quality standards for drinking water.
(6).Maintenance of cleaning and hygiene of environments and proper measures to prevent and control media and resources harmful to hygiene.
(7).Stipulations in other rules and regulations.
The second subparagraph of the preceding paragraph does not apply to other regulations that have been established and approved before the implementation of this amended standard on February 5, 2021.

In addition to the requirements stipulated in the previous Article, long term care institutions and care institutions should possess following qualified facilities and equipment:
(1).Dormitory:
A. Good ventilation and sufficient lights. Windows with natural lighting should be established.
B. Location in basement is not allowed.
C. There should be closets and bed side cupboards for each bed located in-doors. Emergency call system should be set up. The distance between two beds should be at least 80 centimeters wide.
D. At least one door with net-width of at least 80 centimeters.
E. For rooms with 2 or multiple beds, screens to isolate eyesight should be set up.
F. The compartments separating the dormitories must reach the floor.
G. Corridor with direct access to the dormitory without passing through the corridors of other dormitories.
(2).Nursing stations:
A. Equipped with whistles, portable loudspeakers, batons, and antismoke masks or gas masks that can protect the eyes, mouth, and nose.
B. Institutions larger than two floors must be equipped with radios and spare batteries.
(3).Bathing and hygiene facilities :
A. At least one door with net-width of at least 80 centimeters.
B. Adequate walls or curtains should be set up for bathing and hygiene facilities utilized by multiple persons.
C. Bathing and hygiene facilities should be set up in the care zones with emergency call system.
D. Bathing and hygiene facilities suitable for senior citizens lying on the beds or using wheelchairs.
(4).Kitchen:
A. Food-heating, storage, and freezing equipment must be installed.
B. A location to install washing facilities must be designated, and a sufficient supply of running tap water must be ensured. Regular inspections of non–tap water sources must be conducted, and dishwashing and sterilization facilities must be provided.
C. Oil exhaust facilities and other required equipment must be installed.
D. Facilities must maintain proper air pressure and room temperature.
(5).Other facilities and equipment:
A. Equipment such as railings and handrails must be installed at care zones, the cafeteria, bathrooms, corridors, stairways, and landings. Proper antislip and lighting equipment must be installed in the stairways, corridors, and bathrooms of each floor.
B. Public telephones must suit the needs of senior citizens with physical or mental disabilities or impaired mobility.
C. Storage facilities for quilts, bed sheets, supplies, wheelchairs, and other miscellaneous items must be established.
D. Emergency lighting equipment.
Unless otherwise specified in these standards, the institutions in the preceding paragraph may create social lounges, physiotherapy rooms, functional therapy rooms, prayer rooms, hospice care rooms, emergency observation wards, and facilities for catering and waste disposal depending on their needs.
For senior citizen welfare institutions established and those that received construction permits but were incomplete before the implementation of this amended standard on February 5, 2021, the compartments separating the dormitories may not have to reach the floor, but must reach the ceiling.

For senior citizen welfare institutions providing home and day care services, the scale, area, facilities, staffing, qualifications, registration process, and continued education program must comply with the Long-Term Care Services Act and related regulations.

Regarding the standards for floor areas of institutions and facilities, the calculation does not include space of parking lot and dormitories for employees. As for the rule on the floor of dormitory, the floor areas of bathroom and toilet are not included in the calculation.

Long-term care and care institutions established by the various levels of the government, registered as foundations, or affiliated with foundations are limited to 200 persons. However, this limitation does not apply to institutions that have been permitted to register and operate before February 2, 2007.
Small-scale long-term care or care institutions as described in paragraphs 2 and 6 of Article 36 of the Act are limited to 49 persons.

One full-time personnel in charge of overseeing the comprehensive operations of the institutions should be employed for long term care and nursing institutions. He or she will be in charge of the business for the institution and supervise his or her subordinate to fulfill their duties. Following personnel should also be set up:
(1).Nursing personnel: responsible for nursing business and records.
(2).Social workers: responsible for business related to social work.
(3).Care givers: responsible for taking care of the daily life of the senior citizens.
(4).Other professionals related to the services provided.
The personnel in the preceding paragraph must possess the required qualifications and training experience for senior welfare professionals and report to the competent authority within 30 days after appointment, resignation, or any other change in employment status.
In the event that the individual in charge of operations is unable to perform his or her duties, an individual with the same qualifications shall be appointed as a delegate for no more than 1 year. If the delegation exceeds 30 days, it must be reported to the competent authority.
Unless otherwise stipulated in these standards, personnel from subparagraph 1 to 3 in paragraph 1 should work full-time while personnel of subparagraph 4 could be either full-time or contracted personnel.
A minimum of one-quarter of all social workers must possess social worker certifications and practicing licenses as prescribed in paragraph 1, subparagraph 2. As prescribed in subparagraph 3, the number of foreign caregivers shall be handled in accordance with the relevant labor law or regulation unless otherwise specified in these standards.