Seongnam City Expands Operation of 'Human Rights Guardians' for Elderly Care Facilities

[Asia Economy (Seongnam) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province is expanding the operation of 'Human Rights Guardians' to protect the human rights of elderly nursing facility residents and prevent abuse.

On the 3rd, Seongnam City announced that it increased the number of Human Rights Guardians, composed of social welfare certificate holders, care workers, and social welfare experts working in elderly-related institutions, from 12 to 16, and awarded them appointment certificates.

They will monitor the service process at least once a month at 97 elderly nursing facilities in the district until the end of this year.

They also conduct consultations regarding the elderly residents and facility life, and listen to difficulties through interviews with staff.

During this process, if they discover signs or traces of elder abuse or neglect, or cases of human rights violations within the facilities, they report them to the city.

A city official explained, "To strengthen monitoring of nursing facilities, we increased the number of Human Rights Guardians by four from 12 last year," adding, "The activities of the Human Rights Guardians will serve as an institutional safety device to protect the safety and human rights of elderly residents in nursing facilities."

On the day of the appointment ceremony, the city conducted education for the Human Rights Guardians on elder abuse prevention, elderly human rights, and cases of human rights violations within facilities.