Interest and Love for Elderly Living Alone in a Semi-basement in Jeongneung 2-dong, Seongbuk-gu
Discovering Welfare Blind Spots in Crisis Due to Relationship Breakdowns, Case Management for One Individual, and Family Reunification
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] In Jeongneung 2-dong, Seongbuk-gu, helping hands continue to reach out to elderly people who have been left alone due to broken family ties, bringing warmth to people amid the cold wave.
Upon receiving a report about a vulnerable household where "an elderly person lies alone all day in a basement room," a welfare planner from Jeongneung 2-dong immediately visited the home. There, an elderly person was lying amid a pile of trash in a semi-basement, repeatedly saying "I don't know," completely cut off from neighbors and family relationships.
The refrigerator and washing machine had long been broken and non-functional, and the household belongings consisted only of old pots and moldy items. There was no food in the house that seemed ready to eat, and it was unknown when the elderly person last had a meal.
Despite the concern and help offered by those around, the elderly person had built a wall of distrust, isolating themselves from the world and enduring life alone.
The elderly person's health deteriorated due to unbalanced nutrition from missing meals, and symptoms suspected of dementia were also confirmed. Additionally, the living environment was poor and unorganized, and with no guardian due to broken relationships, urgent issues were addressed through cooperation between public and private sectors, conducting case management for the individual.
Jeongneung Comprehensive Social Welfare Center began providing lunchboxes for every meal and elderly-tailored care services to assist daily living, while Jeongneung 2-dong Community Service Center held an emergency case meeting to discuss and decide on care SOS (temporary home care, meal support, housing convenience), basic livelihood security consultations, Seoul-type emergency livelihood support, and nursing grade applications.
Volunteers who learned of the situation volunteered to care for the elderly, minimizing care gaps, and the organization (Sa) Together Smiling World conducted volunteer activities to improve the housing environment throughout the semi-basement home.
At the same time, efforts to restore the elderly person's broken relationships through "family search" led to difficult contact with a nephew, and the elderly person finally smiled with joy and shed tears, expressing gratitude by saying "Thank you."
Through one year of case management and family search starting in 2022, the elderly person was reconnected with the nephew's family and regained daily life with continuous support from the local community. Even now, the nephew occasionally visits the community center to express sincere thanks. The world that the elderly person once distrusted and was isolated from has transformed into a community of coexistence communicating with society.
Seongbuk-gu Mayor Lee Seung-ro said, "I thank everyone who practiced neighborly love with warm lives together, and I will make every effort to carefully watch over marginalized neighbors. Furthermore, we will build a long-term safety net for single-person households and continue to provide prompt crisis response and support."
Dongjak-gu Supports 400 Low-income Households with Gift Sets Including Beef Soup and Braised Beef from the 13th to 20th
Dongjak-gu (Mayor Park Il-ha) is launching support for the "Winter Happiness Package" to help low-income residents in the area who are economically struggling.
This support is being promoted to assist the livelihoods of low-income households facing difficulties due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and to resolve welfare blind spots.
The recipients are 400 low-income households recommended by 15 neighborhood community centers and social welfare centers within the district.
On December 28 last year, the district, together with volunteers from the Dongjak-gu Volunteer Center, prepared gift sets including beef soup, canned tuna, kitchen sets, braised beef, and sesame oil.
Volunteers will visit the target households from the 13th to the 20th to check on their well-being and deliver the happiness packages.
Additionally, to analyze the satisfaction and effectiveness of the project, surveys on recipients' life satisfaction improvement and volunteers' sense of fulfillment will be conducted after the package delivery.
Residents who wish to participate in the "Winter Happiness Package" volunteer activity can apply through the "1365 Volunteer Portal" by the 12th or contact the Dongjak-gu Volunteer Center.
Park Il-ha, Mayor of Dongjak-gu, said, "I hope this package activity will help nearby neighbors have a warm winter, even if just a little, and furthermore, I expect it to be an opportunity to spread a culture of warm sharing."
Gwangjin-gu Encourages Active Environmental Patrol Using Commute and Business Trip Time by All Employees
Immediate Reporting of Hazards Such as Damage to Public Notices and Road Facilities
Utilizing Seoul Smart Inconvenience Reporting App, Prompt Response by Responsible Departments
Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) is conducting voluntary environmental patrols by all employees to help residents live conveniently and safely.
Since January of the new year, the district has been encouraging employees to immediately report any inconveniences or safety threats they discover during their commute or business trips.
The purpose of this environmental patrol is to not overlook even minor issues and to always pay attention and respond quickly before greater risks occur.
Minor issues such as simple illegal dumping of trash are handled immediately on the spot, but if various hazards such as illegal banners, damage to public notices, or road facility damage are detected, they must be promptly reported through the Seoul Smart Inconvenience Reporting App.
Once a report is registered, the responsible department verifies it and takes swift action. Afterwards, the audit office, which is the overall supervisory department, conducts a final inspection of the maintenance results and addresses any deficiencies.
Additionally, quarterly evaluations will be conducted to select outstanding departments with many reports and maintenance cases to boost morale.
Gwangjin-gu Mayor Kim Kyung-ho said, "We encourage environmental patrols so that residents' safety and convenient lives can be guaranteed anytime and anywhere. I hope all employees will actively participate with a leading attitude to create a clean and safe urban environment."
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