Hapcheon-gun Selected for Dementia Safe Village Best Practice Expansion Contest Project

1.2 Billion KRW National Funding to Improve Dementia Awareness and Village & Residential Environment

Group photo of residents from the Dementia Safe Village

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam Province, has been selected for the Ministry of Health and Welfare's '2022 Dementia Safe Village Best Practice Expansion Contest' and will receive 120 million KRW in national funding.

Accordingly, the county will implement projects to improve dementia awareness and the village and residential environment by supporting the budget for expanding dementia safe villages.

Since 2019, the county has annually designated 2 to 3 dementia safe villages on a rolling basis and currently operates 10 dementia safe villages.

Various projects are being carried out to create a dementia-friendly local community where people with dementia can maintain daily life and participate in social activities in their residences with the help of village residents.

With the budget provided this time, the county will operate specialized programs such as dementia prevention programs, gymnastics, and yoga for 10 dementia safe villages from August to December (5 months), and hold presentations, festivals, and performance report meetings.

All these processes will be produced as promotional videos to be regularly screened at local cinemas and used as promotional materials at various dementia-related events.

A health center official said, "Securing national funding is expected to serve as an opportunity to smoothly implement the county governor’s pledge to realize a 'Healthy Hapcheon without Dementia Worries' and contribute to improving dementia awareness."