Gangdong-gu 'Emergency Bell for Elderly Living Alone' Pilot Operation

[Seoul District News] Gangdong-gu Pilots 'Emergency Bell' to Instantly Notify Guardians in Elderly Emergency Situations & Plans to Support 50 High-Risk Reclusive Seniors in Second Half of 2024 & Expand to 200 Units by 2026 ... Seodaemun-gu Operates Welfare Blind Spot Discovery Team to Find At-Risk Households & Provides Welfare System Guidance and Monitors Living Conditions for Vulnerable Groups & Doubles Honorary Social Welfare Officers Participating in Discovery Team by Year-End & Public-Private Cooperation for Intensive Welfare Blind Spot Discovery T

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The number of elderly people dying alone in solitude is increasing every year. This mainly occurs when elderly people living alone, who have no external activities and are socially isolated, face an emergency situation.

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Soo-hee) announced on the 21st that it will pilot the ‘Emergency Bell for Elderly Living Alone’ project to prevent solitary deaths among elderly living alone and enable them to quickly request help in emergencies.

The ‘Emergency Bell for Elderly Living Alone’ allows elderly people living alone to press a call button in an emergency, sending an alert to their guardians. Utilizing Internet of Things (IoT) technology, it also provides real-time information on the user's activity levels, living environment, and overall daily life to the guardians.

Existing emergency alert systems mostly have a post-monitoring function that activates only when no activity is detected for a certain period. However, the ‘Emergency Bell’ pilot operated by Gangdong-gu enables immediate response upon emergency occurrence, helping to establish a proactive safety system.

The support targets high-risk reclusive elderly among basic pension recipients, prioritizing those who refuse local government visitation services, the extremely aged, and elderly living alone in blind spots. A total of 200 units will be supported by 2026, with 50 units piloted in the second half of this year to verify effectiveness and expand continuously.

Kim Hyun-jung, Director of the Elderly Welfare Division, said, “Solitary deaths among elderly living alone are increasing every year, and many sadly pass away without being able to alert anyone during emergencies. We will do our best to prepare more effective and meticulous measures to build a dense safety net without blind spots.”

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seong-heon) announced on the 21st that it will operate a ‘Welfare Blind Spot Discovery Team’ composed of honorary social welfare officers to identify welfare crisis households and strengthen the local protection system.

Team members seek out households in poverty crises, care crises, and housing vulnerability, provide guidance on various welfare programs, and monitor the living conditions of neighbors in need in cooperation with local community centers.

They also check in at least once a week on assigned recipients or near-poverty groups through a ‘High-Risk Household One-on-One Connection’ system.

The district plans to expand the number of honorary social welfare officers to about 3,300 by the end of this year, roughly double compared to last year.

To this end, new appointments will include members of the local community security council, neighborhood leaders, merchants from local welfare stores, workers in close-contact occupations, and postal delivery workers from Seodaemun Post Office.

At the ‘Welfare Blind Spot Discovery Team Launch Ceremony’ held on the 18th at Seodaemun-gu Office auditorium, about 150 newly appointed honorary social welfare officers participated, recited an oath, received capacity-building training, and strengthened their commitment to discovering crisis households.

Following this, plans and schedules for welfare blind spot discovery were discussed for each of the 14 neighborhoods.

In addition to the Welfare Blind Spot Discovery Team, the district strives to identify crisis households through ▲direct text reporting center to the mayor ▲crisis information big data ▲updating risk households of solitary deaths aged 50 and above ▲non-face-to-face IT welfare services (Angel Call, Angel Talk, Angel Chatbot).

Furthermore, to strengthen neighborly care through the local community care network, a ‘Welfare Blind Spot Intensive Discovery Task Force’ is formed and operated, involving local care volunteers, Mabom Council (Community Security Council) members, neighborhood leaders, and public and private institutions.

Seodaemun-gu Mayor Lee Seong-heon said, “Each member of the Welfare Blind Spot Discovery Team can change the world with their attention. I appreciate their valuable role for a 100% happy Seodaemun.”

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will resume cultural programs at the senior complex cultural space ‘Senior Youth Cafe’ after three years.

The ‘Senior Youth Cafe’ was a popular place for elderly people to enjoy various cultural performances and relax with affordable drinks, but cultural programs such as performances and lectures were suspended since 2019 due to COVID-19.

With the lifting of social distancing measures, various programs including group performances and free lectures will be available again from October. Different programs are held at each cafe from Monday to Saturday, starting at 3 p.m. for one hour. Since the cafes serve elderly people vulnerable to infections, facility safety and disinfection are thoroughly checked.

The district operates four Senior Youth Cafes in total. Starting with the ‘Nowon Silver Cafe’ established in 2010 near Junggye Station?the first of its kind nationwide?followed by the 2nd branch Gongneung Youth Cafe, the 3rd branch Wolgye Youth Cafe, and the 4th branch Junggye Youth Cafe opened last February.

Nowon Silver Cafe and Gongneung Youth Cafe hold performances Monday through Friday and lectures on Saturdays. On the 24th, the ‘Oseonji and Guitar Love’ team will perform Korean pop guitar music at Nowon Silver Cafe, and on the 26th, the ‘Accordion Ensemble’ team will present Korean pop accordion music. Gongneung Youth Cafe has a ‘Laughter Exercise’ lecture by instructor Kwon Seol-hee scheduled for the 29th.

Wolgye Youth Cafe and Junggye Youth Cafe hold performances Monday through Thursday, lectures on Fridays, and movie screenings on Saturdays. They also offer practical education helpful for seniors’ daily lives. Junggye Youth Cafe has a ‘Smartphone Usage’ class by instructor Lee Yoon-sook planned for the 28th.

The Youth Cafes offer senior discounts for those aged 65 and older, providing Americano for 500 KRW, cafe latte for 1,000 KRW, domestic tea for 700 KRW, and toast for 1,000 KRW at affordable prices. Despite the suspension of cultural programs, a total of about 115,000 people used the cafes by the third quarter this year, with general users accounting for about 10% of total visitors.

Additionally, the cafes employ 20 elderly people per location who have received professional barista training, contributing to job creation for seniors.

The cafes operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. They are closed during Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays and on regular closing days. Regular closing days are the first Monday of each month for Nowon Silver Cafe and Gongneung Youth Cafe, the second Monday for Wolgye Youth Cafe, and every Sunday for Junggye Youth Cafe.

Meanwhile, the district is making significant efforts to expand leisure welfare facilities for the elderly along with establishing Youth Cafes in each area. The ‘Surak Senior Comprehensive Welfare Center,’ which enhances functions such as jobs, social participation, and comprehensive counseling beyond traditional senior welfare centers, is scheduled to be completed early next year. The construction of a ‘Senior Center’ is also underway to serve as a hub for elderly leisure welfare promotion.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “I hope the various programs at the Youth Cafes will provide comfort and healing to elderly people exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. We will do our utmost to expand leisure welfare facilities throughout the region to meet the diverse needs of seniors.”

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is conducting ‘Gwanak Life Keeper Training’ to prevent suicide, which is called social homicide.

Psychological autopsy results over seven years show that 94% of suicide victims exhibited verbal, behavioral, or emotional changes as warning signs before death, but only 22.7% of bereaved families recognized these signs. Even when recognized, many did not know how to respond.

‘Life Keepers’ are an effective intervention strategy for suicide prevention proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014. They recognize warning signs sent by individuals at suicide risk within the community, prevent progression to high-risk groups, and connect them to professional institutions.

A health center official said, “People considering suicide often talk about death, avoid contact, or show mental health issues such as depression, sending warning signals. These signals can be easily identified by the general public through education,” emphasizing the role of Life Keepers.

The ‘Gwanak Life Keeper Training’ will involve 3,636 local residents and related workers this year. Monthly training sessions are held at the Gwanak-gu Mental Health Welfare Center and local community centers for residents, public officials, and neighborhood leaders of 21 districts.

The training covers ▲correct understanding of suicide ▲roles of Life Keepers ▲methods and skills to respond to suicide risk signals ▲information on support agencies, fostering a culture of respect for life and improving suicide awareness.

For high-risk individuals referred by Life Keepers, the district provides appropriate services such as eight weeks of crisis counseling and psychiatric treatment to reduce suicide risk according to the individual's needs.

For low-risk individuals, local Life Keeper activists are matched 1:1 to provide continuous psychological and emotional support through phone calls and home visits.

Additionally, the district runs the ‘2030 Youth Heart Embrace’ project, offering customized psychological counseling to young people experiencing psychological depression due to employment instability, economic problems, social isolation, and interpersonal stress, providing opportunities for self-reflection and healing.

For more information on ‘Life Keeper Training’ and various ‘Life Love Suicide Prevention Activities,’ contact the Gwanak-gu Mental Health Welfare Center.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “Through this Life Keeper Training, I hope Gwanak-gu will cultivate a culture of respect for life where hearts can heal through mutual care, becoming a safe and mentally healthy district free from suicide risk. I want all residents to remember that ‘Because I exist, the world shines brighter.’”

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) announced that it will operate the ‘Body Separate, Mind Together Walking’ program to promote physical activity among elderly people until November 11.

This program was prepared to overcome ‘Corona Blue,’ the depression caused by reduced outdoor activities and interpersonal relationships among elderly people due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

It aims not only to improve the physical health of elderly people but also to help alleviate depression. Due to high satisfaction with the program, it is being continued this year following last year.

The program is conducted with up to 15 participants accompanied by visiting nurses from each of the 16 neighborhood community centers, walking along local trails and walking paths.

Before walking, participants receive education on COVID-19 prevention measures such as temperature checks and respiratory symptom screening, followed by warm-up exercises. Enjoying walking in nature motivates participants to practice healthy living on their own. After walking, cool-down exercises and blood pressure checks are conducted to reassess the health status of the elderly.

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, said, “We prepared this walking program for elderly people whose outdoor activity has decreased due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. I hope walking will increase their activity levels and help prevent chronic diseases and depression, contributing greatly to their health management.”