Incheon City to Expand 9 Elderly Welfare Facilities Including Municipal Nursing Homes by 2022

63.2 Billion KRW Invested... Expansion of Public Facilities from 26 to 35
Namdong Senior Welfare Center and 3 Comprehensive Senior Care Facilities in Ongjin-gun to Open Next Year

At last year's 'Senior Citizens Day' commemorative ceremony, Park Nam-chun, Mayor of Incheon (center), is taking a commemorative photo with the elderly.
[Photo by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City plans to add nine more public elderly welfare facilities, including municipal nursing homes and senior welfare centers, by 2022.

The city announced on the 6th that it will invest 63.2 billion KRW to increase the number of public elderly welfare facilities from the current 26 by 9 (34.6%), expanding to a total of 35 facilities.

First, Namdong Senior Welfare Center (Susan-dong) and Mansu Area Senior Culture Center (Mansu-dong) will open next year, and comprehensive elderly nursing facilities will also open next year in three locations in Ongjin County: Bukdo, Yeonpyeong, and Jawoldo.

The Southern Area Senior Culture Center (Bupyeong-dong) and Ongjin County Yeongheung Family Care Culture Center are scheduled to be constructed by 2022.

Additionally, to provide nursing services for elderly suffering from geriatric diseases, the municipal nursing home, Incheon City Nursing Home, will open in Dorim-dong, Namdong-gu in 2022, and a municipal dementia-specialized elderly nursing facility will open in Galhyeon-dong, Gyeyang-gu in 2023.

Along with this, the city will spend 700 million KRW this year to create themed community spaces such as shared kitchens and small libraries in 10 county and district senior centers, fostering spaces for communication between local residents and the elderly.

Incheon City is actively promoting the expansion of elderly welfare facilities, the enhancement of care services, and regionally tailored policies to respond to an aging society by investing 1.1 trillion KRW this year, including basic pensions, according to the "1st Mid- to Long-term Plan for Responding to the Aging Society in Incheon."

As of the end of August this year, the population aged 65 and over in Incheon is 403,000, accounting for 13.7% of the total population. Furthermore, with the baby boomer generation (born 1955?1963), which accounts for 14% of the total population, entering old age, it is predicted that by 2027 the elderly population ratio will exceed 20%, reaching a super-aged society.