Let's Cherish the Memories of the Elderly and Create a Happy Village!

Geumcheon-gu Launches Geumcheon Journey (Memory Embracing Happiness Village) Project... Promoting Cognitive Health Initiatives Including Dementia Safe Village, Dementia Care Physicians, and Household Memory Friends... Implementing Customized Programs by Neighborhood Through Selection and Focus

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] As of 2019, the population aged 65 and over accounted for 14.9% of the total population, with a dementia prevalence rate of 10.2%. It is projected that by 2050, the dementia prevalence rate will reach 16.1%, and the number of dementia patients will increase to 3.02 million.

Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yu Seong-hoon) is implementing the year-round ‘Geumcheon Journey Project’ to create a dementia-friendly environment in response to the increasing dementia population.

The Geumcheon Journey Project is an abbreviation of ‘Memory Embracing Happy Village,’ a project aimed at revitalizing the memories of the elderly and creating a dementia-friendly environment with residents so that dementia patients and their families can live safely in their daily lives.

The Geumcheon Journey Project encompasses various initiatives such as ‘Dementia Safe Village,’ which provides education and awareness activities about dementia for families of dementia patients and local residents; ‘Dementia Safe Primary Care Physician,’ which establishes a connection with medical institutions treating dementia patients to prevent the progression of dementia; and ‘House-to-House Memory Friends,’ which involves visiting and caring for elderly dementia patients at home.

In particular, the district operates the ‘Neighborhood Memory Classroom,’ a visiting program for elderly people with mild cognitive impairment who find it difficult to visit the Dementia Safety Center, helping to improve cognitive function and reduce depression among the elderly.

Starting this year, the district plans to implement customized programs tailored to the conditions of each neighborhood through selection and concentration.

In Siheung 1-dong, which has the largest elderly population, the district will promote the ‘Memory Embracing Village’ project, linking ‘local status surveys,’ ‘partner institution recruitment,’ ‘dementia awareness education,’ and ‘hope service support’ as a hub area.

In Doksan 1-dong, where the examination rate is low and many people have cognitive decline, the Geumcheon-gu Dementia Safety Center will provide integrated dementia management services such as dementia prevention, early diagnosis and management, and welfare resource linkage, and operate the Neighborhood Memory Classroom to promote cognitive health improvement among the elderly.

Additionally, focused examinations will be conducted in Gasan-dong, which has the lowest dementia screening rate, and in Siheung 2-dong, systematic cognitive enhancement programs will be conducted centered on the ‘Cognitive Health Design 100-Year Garden’ established within the Cheongdam Comprehensive Social Welfare Center. From March this year, in cooperation with the Geumcheon Urban Agriculture Network, the ‘Flower Garden’ program will be operated to train village gardeners so that residents can cultivate the 100-Year Garden themselves.

The district plans to carefully manage and expand customized programs from each neighborhood to other neighborhoods according to conditions to help improve the cognitive health of local elderly residents and foster a dementia-friendly atmosphere throughout the district.

According to an analysis of the ‘Korea Dementia Status 2018’ data from the Central Dementia Center, the dementia prevalence rate for those aged 60 and over is 7.16% nationwide, 6.44% in Seoul, and 5.93% in Geumcheon-gu, making Geumcheon-gu the third lowest among Seoul’s autonomous districts.

Yu Seong-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, stated, “The number of dementia patients is rapidly increasing due to the aging trend, and social costs are also rising accordingly. Through the Geumcheon Journey Project, we will promote cognitive health improvement among the elderly and establish a social foundation so that the elderly can enjoy a healthy old age.”

For more information, please contact the Geumcheon-gu Public Health Center’s Health and Medical Division (☏2627-2215) or the Dementia Safety Center (☏3281-9082~6).