Seongdong-gu, 1:1 Non-Face-to-Face Dementia Prevention Service for Seniors

Matching 80 Dementia Prevention Activist Training Graduates with Seniors, Providing Dementia Prevention Guidance and Emotional Care Support

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) is conducting a mobile dementia prevention service called the ‘Dementia Prevention Brain Strengthening Project’ for elderly people who have difficulty engaging in outdoor activities due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The project was prepared to support non-face-to-face dementia prevention guidance and emotional care for elderly people struggling with COVID blues by connecting graduates who completed dementia prevention activist training with local elderly residents.

First, in August, the district conducted ‘Dementia Prevention Activist Training’ for Seongdong-gu residents interested in volunteering.

The training was conducted offline and online over five sessions for a total of 90 participants, 45 in each group, covering ▲understanding of volunteering ▲understanding dementia and systematic cognitive activity guidance by dementia center education experts ▲telephone communication techniques for the elderly by communication specialists.

Among those who completed the dementia prevention activist course, 80 were selected as volunteers and matched one-on-one with 80 local elderly residents. The elderly participants were selected in September through recommendations from visiting nurses at the Seongdong-gu Dementia Safety Center and local community centers, and the service will begin in October.

Through weekly phone consultations, volunteers will provide dementia prevention learning guidance in areas such as memory, perception, and calculation to improve cognitive abilities, while also checking on health status and well-being.

A district official stated, “This project is being promoted in collaboration with the neighborhood learning centers that conducted the training, the Seongdong-gu Volunteer Center, and the Seongdong-gu Dementia Safety Center. It is significant as the first mobile dementia prevention service among Seoul’s autonomous districts.” He added, “We plan to produce and distribute a video titled ‘Simple but Essential Dementia Prevention Phone Games’ so that residents can easily use the effective dementia prevention guidance methods discovered through this project.”

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “Through this project, we aim to eliminate the blind spots in cognitive care for elderly people who may be marginalized in unseen places amid the ongoing difficulties including COVID-19. We will work harder to swiftly respond to the aging society and make Seongdong a warm community where everyone can enjoy happiness.”