Eunpyeong-gu Operates Senior-Exclusive Call Taxi Service 'Baekse Call'

[Seoul District News] Eunpyeong-gu Collaborates with Taxi Companies for Easy Use and Free Call Charges via Dedicated Hotline for Seniors 65+ ... Jung-gu Seniors Caring for Dementia Patients Meet 'Beethoven Reading Paintings Lee Jung-seop' ... Dongdaemun-gu to Host Cultural Performance for 900 Seniors on 21st with National Singer Song Dae-gwan, Quiz, Wish Lanterns, Photo Zone, and Senior Rights Promotion Booths at District Office Plaza

Eunpyeong-gu operates a dedicated call taxi service called "Baekse Call" for the convenience of senior citizens' transportation. Kim Mi-kyung, the mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, is holding a Baekse Call vehicle sign.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) announced that it will operate the exclusive call taxi for senior citizens' transportation convenience, ‘Baekse Call,’ in collaboration with Hangang Call Taxi and the Seoul Private Taxi Transport Business Association Eunpyeong Branch.

Although mobile transportation service apps are widely used recently, the exclusive call taxi ‘Baekse Call’ was prepared for seniors who are not familiar with them. A dedicated hotline for seniors has been established to provide friendly guidance for taxi dispatch, and the call fee is free of charge.

The service targets seniors aged 65 or older residing in Eunpyeong, who can easily use the service with just one phone call anytime. To use it, contact the dedicated number and use the vehicle either in real-time or by making a reservation in advance. The call fee is free, and taxi fares to the destination will be charged. However, a call fee may apply during late-night hours from 10 PM to 3 AM.

Earlier, on the 17th, the district held a business agreement ceremony for Baekse Call with Hangang Call Taxi and the Seoul Private Taxi Transport Business Association Eunpyeong Branch.

Hangang Call Taxi has dedicated staff for Baekse Call to promptly handle senior guidance and call requests. The Seoul Private Taxi Transport Business Association Eunpyeong Branch prioritizes dispatching taxis to help seniors use taxis conveniently. The district plans to actively promote and support the service at community centers, senior centers, and welfare centers to enable many seniors to use it conveniently.

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, said, “I hope seniors who are not familiar with mobile devices can easily use taxis through Baekse Call without struggling to catch taxis on the roadside,” adding, “I thank all the stakeholders who cooperated willingly. We will continue to make multifaceted efforts to improve transportation convenience for seniors.”

Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-sung) Dementia Safety Center (Director Lee Jong-yoon) held a cultural performance viewing event for 120 participants of the senior job and social activity support project.

The Jung-gu Dementia Safety Center operates the ‘Nono Care - Senior Health Keeper,’ a ‘public-type senior job project’ where seniors visit and care for other seniors. The Senior Health Keeper visits dementia patients and high-risk groups (mild cognitive impairment) to check on their well-being and assist with dementia prevention activities.

The event was held on October 17 at 2 PM in the main auditorium of Sindang Nuri Center. (Photo) Despite the difficulties in activities due to COVID-19, a performance was prepared to provide a recharging time for seniors who have been devotedly caring for dementia patients.

The performance titled ‘Beethoven Reading Paintings - Lee Jung-seop’ featured music commentary by a professional curator and stories hidden in famous paintings. It was conducted at a level understandable and enjoyable for seniors, receiving a positive response.

Lee Jong-yoon, Director of Jung-gu Dementia Safety Center, said, “We prepared cultural activities to thank seniors for their hard work. I hope they had a joyful and happy time.”

The ‘Public-type Senior Job Project’ conducted by Jung-gu Dementia Safety Center is open to basic pension recipients aged 65 or older residing in Jung-gu. Announcements and participant recruitment are made at the beginning of the year.

In addition, various projects are underway, including ▲free memory tests for Jung-gu residents aged 60 or older ▲customized care management and linkage ▲support for dementia diagnosis and treatment costs ▲provision of care supplies for low-income groups ▲prevention of wandering senior disappearances ▲operation of cognitive health programs ▲dementia family education programs ▲operation of an online dementia family meeting band (Bodmi). For detailed inquiries such as free memory test reservations, contact the Jung-gu Dementia Safety Center.

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) will hold the ‘2022 Dongdaemun-gu Senior Cultural Festival’ on the 21st at 10 AM in the plaza in front of the district office and the multipurpose auditorium on the 2nd floor, targeting 900 seniors in the area.

Hosted by the Dongdaemun Senior Welfare Center (Director Kim Yoon-tae), this event was planned to provide cultural performance viewing opportunities to local seniors to improve their quality of life. It was temporarily suspended after 2019 due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic but is being held again following the recent phased recovery of daily life.

Any senior resident in the area can participate in the event without a separate reservation, and richer performances have been prepared since it is being held for the first time in three years.

On the 21st at 10 AM, the event will start with a Nanta performance starring seniors and a senior women's choir performance in the multipurpose auditorium on the 2nd floor of the district office, followed by a commemorative ceremony including awards for contributors to senior welfare.

Notably, a congratulatory performance by national trot singer Song Dae-gwan, who can be called the idol of seniors, is scheduled, attracting attention. Song Dae-gwan’s performance will take place from 10:50 AM to 11:30 AM on the 21st in the multipurpose auditorium on the 2nd floor of the district office for 40 minutes.

Promotion and participation booths for senior human rights, including learning about senior human rights, solving senior human rights quizzes, hanging wish lanterns, and photo zones, will also be operated in the plaza in front of the district office. It is expected that seniors will be able to obtain essential information and refresh their mood by seeing beautifully blooming flowers in the newly renovated district office plaza this year.

For safe event operation, welfare center staff and volunteers will be assigned as safety management personnel, and an emergency medical standby team will be operated in preparation for emergencies.

Go Gap-seok, Director of Senior and Disabled Welfare Division, said, “I am glad that the ‘Dongdaemun-gu Senior Cultural Festival,’ which was suspended due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, can be resumed,” adding, “We will prepare the event thoroughly to fill seniors’ free daily lives with diverse performances.” Meanwhile, Dongdaemun-gu was certified as an age-friendly city by the World Health Organization (WHO) on September 26 and joined the international network.

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Kang-soo) announced that it is recruiting participants for the ‘Early-Onset Dementia Program’ targeting middle-aged dementia patients under 65 years old.

Early-onset dementia, accounting for about 9% of all dementia patients, occurs in middle-aged people under 65 and progresses rapidly, causing more severe stress.

Mapo-gu conducted the specialized ‘Talk Talk Program’ for early-onset dementia patients, who lack social interest and service networks unlike senile dementia, from April to October, and will expand free customized occupational and music programs from November.

Through this program, the district plans to improve the daily living abilities of early-onset dementia patients and continuously provide systematic dementia support services to prevent social isolation.

Park Kang-soo, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “Early-onset dementia is difficult to detect early because it is often mistaken for depression or stress-related disorders in the early stages and progresses faster than senile dementia,” adding, “We will do our best to create a dementia-safe city Mapo-gu through customized treatment and management for each patient.”

The Mapo-gu Dementia Safety Center was established to provide early diagnosis, early screening, treatment methods, and systematically support dementia prevention and education projects.

Various information about dementia and online early dementia screening can be found on the Mapo-gu Dementia Safety Center website.

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Sung-heon) announced on the 19th that it will actively respond to welfare demands arising from social environmental changes such as low birthrate, aging, and social isolation by promoting the community social security vision policy called ‘Seodaemun Happiness 100% Life Care.’

To this end, the district established a comprehensive plan consisting of three strategic goals?‘Lifetime companion welfare from birth to old age,’ ‘One-stop customized welfare for anyone anytime,’ and ‘Establishment of a life care foundation for all residents’?with nine policy tasks and 53 core projects.

This includes a roadmap for ‘customized welfare services for all residents throughout their entire life cycle,’ from birth to old age, with annual achievement indicators and investment plans from this year through 2026.

The plan was derived through in-depth discussions over three months by the ‘Happiness 100% Promotion Team Life Care TF,’ composed of 15 external experts including social welfare and healthcare researchers and field experts in social security, as well as employees from nine departments of Seodaemun-gu.

Among them, 30 key projects such as ▲promotion of public postpartum care center opening ▲expansion of childcare services and neighborhood care centers ▲support for independence of children and youth leaving protection ▲discovery and support for family caregivers among youth and adolescents ▲job expansion for vulnerable employment groups including women, middle-aged, and seniors ▲expansion of senior welfare facilities will start immediately this year.

Next, the district will also create ‘hub-type welfare spaces’ that provide integrated customized services according to demand and crisis.

These include the ‘One-Person Household Support Center’ (scheduled to open in 2024) where anyone living alone can receive customized welfare services, ‘Comprehensive Welfare Centers’ in low-rise residential areas with poor welfare facility accessibility, and ‘Regional Daycare Centers’ to enable comfortable aging in the community, aiming to establish social security infrastructure without regional disparities.

Additionally, the district will promote the ‘Mental Health Practice Environment Creation Project’ to prevent social isolation and depression among residents.

This includes expanding ‘Life Keeper Training Education’ and establishing a ‘Suicide High-Risk Group Discovery Cooperation System’ with primary medical institutions and schools to carefully manage residents’ mental health.

The ‘Life Care TF’ that operated for this plan will be converted into an advisory committee from next year to monitor project implementation and provide advice on development directions.

Mayor Lee Sung-heon said, “We plan to realize the tasks of the Life Care comprehensive plan through close cooperation with Seoul City and central government ministries,” adding, “We will create a ‘Seodaemun-gu that firmly accompanies everyone’ so that anyone can feel safe in any crisis.”