Gangdong-gu Conducts Large-Scale Survey on Single-Person Households at Risk of Solitary Death

[Seoul District News] Gangdong-gu Conducts Intensive Survey on Middle-aged Single-person Households with High Risk of Solitary Death to Establish Systematic Policies & Provides Various Care Monitoring and Customized Services Including Smart Plugs and Salpimi App to High-risk Groups

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] According to the 2021 Seoul City statistical analysis results, more than half (54.9%) of the solitary deaths that occurred last year were among middle-aged adults aged 50 to 64.

The increase in solitary deaths among the middle-aged generation is emerging as a significant issue as factors such as divorce, health problems, and economic recession intertwine with social phenomena like individualism and defamilialization, leading to a rise in socially isolated middle-aged individuals.

Gangdong-gu (District Mayor Lee Soo-hee) announced on the 23rd that it plans to conduct a large-scale survey by January next year to establish systematic policies through an accurate investigation of the causes and statistical analysis of the rapidly increasing solitary deaths among the middle-aged population.

The survey targets single-person households aged 50 and above residing in the district and will be conducted face-to-face according to the survey questionnaire. The survey items include social networks, economic, housing, and health status, major problems and needs, and risk of solitary death.

If the survey results identify individuals at risk of solitary death, care monitoring services will be prioritized, including ▲‘Smart Plug’ that detects power usage to sense dangerous situations, ▲‘Salpimi App’ that sends alert messages to guardians or local community centers if there is no mobile phone use for 24 hours, ▲‘AI Check-in Call’ that uses artificial intelligence to regularly check the subject’s condition, and ▲‘Our Neighborhood Care Team’ that makes direct phone calls once a week to check for abnormalities. Additionally, customized welfare services tailored to the individual’s circumstances will be supported by linking public social security and private services.

Lee Soo-hee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, stated, “The district supports a stable life for socially isolated middle-aged single-person households and prevents solitary deaths by opening a Single-Person Household Support Center to operate customized services for the target group, as well as conducting systematic monitoring through various methods. We will continue to actively utilize local resources to promote diverse policies for single-person households.”

Households wishing to participate in the survey can visit or call the local community center at their registered address. The survey results will be used as data for single-person household policies and linkage to customized welfare services.