Gwanak-gu Supports Discharged Patients' Return and Community Settlement

[Seoul District News] Gwanak-gu Signs MOU with 3 Local Medical Institutions Including Seoul Boramae Hospital, H Plus Yangji Hospital, and Gangnam Goryeo Hospital; Launches 'Care SOS Center Hospital Discharge Patient Linkage Service' from the 13th... Enjoying Winter with Seodaemun-gu Dream Start & 544 Children and Families Participate in 5 Programs Including Basketball, Cooking, and Woodworking & 'Ttukttak Woodworking Class' with Families Held...
Dongdaemun-gu to Accompany Elementary Students on Commute for Traffic Safety Early Next Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is providing customized care services for discharged patients such as elderly and disabled individuals who have difficulty moving or maintaining daily life independently due to the absence of family after hospital discharge.

The district signed a business agreement with three local medical institutions?Seoul Boramae Hospital, H Plus Yangji Hospital, and Gangnam Goryeo Hospital?and has been operating the ‘Care SOS Center Hospital Discharge Patient Linkage Service’ since December 13.

According to the agreement, the three hospitals identify discharged patients in need of care and, upon application, care managers at the local community centers assess the patient’s health status, living conditions, and care needs to establish a care plan and provide customized care services.

A district official said, “Through this agreement, patients or medical staff can connect with community services during hospitalization without the hassle of visiting or calling the community center, enabling faster and more thorough care services.”

Discharged patients requiring care receive five major care services promptly: ‘temporary home care’ involving home visits based on health and living conditions, ‘accompaniment support’ for essential outings, ‘housing convenience’ for simple home repairs and tidying, ‘meal support’ for basic dietary maintenance, and support for admission to ‘short-term facilities.’

Additionally, through visits and consultations, long-term care such as welfare checks, health support, and case management is linked as needed, and follow-up monitoring is conducted for completed cases.

In particular, based on the patient’s health information, residents requiring continuous health management are linked with public health centers to receive ‘health care services’ combining care and health, including chronic disease management, nutrition, and rehabilitation exercises.

The service targets discharged patients from general hospitals in the area who need care, including elderly aged 65 or older, disabled persons, and middle-aged adults aged 50 or older. The service fully supports costs up to 85% of the median income (temporarily 100% of the median income); otherwise, users bear part of the cost.

Since August 2020, the district has operated the ‘Care SOS Center’ to support those urgently needing care but lacking family support, effectively filling care blind spots.

A district official stated, “Social hospitalization, where patients are admitted not for treatment but due to lack of family care, is increasing. We will build a dense and proactive care safety net where health, care, and medical services cooperate organically so that patients can focus on recovery without worry.”

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seong-heon) will conduct various winter programs for Dream Start case-managed children for about a month starting on the 15th of this month.

A total of 544 children and their guardians will participate in five programs aimed at improving children’s physical strength, fostering creativity, and enhancing family bonds.

The detailed programs include ▲Basketball class (10 participants) ▲Family woodworking experience (20 participants) ▲Christmas flower pot making (131 participants) ▲Christmas card delivery (183 participants) ▲Family cooking (200 participants).

Earlier, on the 10th of this month, the district held a ‘Woodworking Class’ for Dream Start families at Wood4U Cooperative located in Yeonhui-dong. Twenty-one participants from 10 families enjoyed making chairs with the instructor’s help.

One participant said, “Through this program, I feel closer to my child, and every time I see the chair we made together, I will remember today’s memories.”

Lee Seong-heon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, “We prepared these programs so children can spend meaningful time during the winter when they tend to shrink indoors, and we will actively develop and operate various projects for children’s healthy growth in the future.”

The district provides integrated case management and customized services linked with local resources for vulnerable children under 12 and their families through the Dream Start project. For more information, contact the Seodaemun-gu Office’s Department of Children and Youth.

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) will expand the Children’s Traffic Safety Guidance Project, which is being implemented to create a safe route to and from school, in 2023.

The Children’s Traffic Safety Guidance Project places traffic safety instructors at elementary schools to accompany students on their way to and from school, protecting them from risks such as crime and traffic accidents.

If guardians find it difficult to accompany children due to reasons such as both parents working, they can apply for the service through the school. This year, 14 routes were operated at seven schools (Gunja Elementary, Sindap Elementary, Anpyeong Elementary, Dongdap Elementary, Yongdu Elementary, Jeondong Elementary, Jeonnong Elementary).

Due to high interest from parents, the project will be expanded next year. A district official said that a preliminary demand survey will be conducted at local elementary schools this month, and the expansion will comprehensively reflect changes in commuting environments expected next year.

Also, to ensure smooth operation of the 2023 Children’s Traffic Safety Guidance Project, recruitment for traffic safety instructors will be publicly announced on the Dongdaemun-gu website around February next year. Anyone with experience as a parent, member of the Green Mothers’ Association, or in children’s traffic safety work can apply.

Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, “The Children’s Traffic Safety Guidance Project not only has high satisfaction among parents but also effectively protects children from traffic accidents and various crimes. We will spare no effort to support children, our future, so they can grow up safely in a secure environment through this project and other initiatives.”

Songpa Nanum Power Plant Unit 5

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) is realizing a new form of ‘energy welfare’ that combines environment and welfare. This year, it will support energy-vulnerable groups in the area with high-efficiency home appliances worth approximately 16 million KRW using operating profits from the Songpa Sharing Power Plant.

Since 2009, the district has operated the Songpa Sharing Power Plant, producing electricity through solar power and using the operating profits to support vulnerable groups.

In cooperation with the nonprofit corporation ‘Energy Sharing and Peace,’ the district established the first plant in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, the second in Uiseong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and the third and fourth at the local resource circulation park in Songpa-gu. Since July 2020, the district has independently planned and operated the fifth plant at the Songpa-gu Sincheon Rainwater Pump Station.

This year, customized support will be provided to 37 energy-vulnerable households, including basic livelihood security recipients, with 17 washing machines, 12 refrigerators, and 8 electric rice cookers.

Mr. Yoon, who received a refrigerator, said, “The refrigerator was very old, and I was always worried that my elementary school sons might eat spoiled food, but now I can put those worries aside, and I am truly grateful.”