Gangnam-gu Yeoksam Senior Health Care Center Explodes in Popularity... Why?

Providing Personalized 1:1 Health Management Services for Seniors... Expanded Operation from Twice a Week to Five Times a Week Starting the 6th

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gangnam-gu (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) will expand the operation of the ‘Yeoksam Senior Health Management Center,’ which provides customized health management for seniors aged 65 and older, to five times a week starting the 6th.

The population aged 65 and older in Gangnam-gu is about 78,000, accounting for 14.7% of the total population (530,000), and interest and demand for health management are gradually increasing.

Accordingly, the public health center has been supporting residents' health management by placing visiting nurses at each community service center. Utilizing the vacant space on the second floor of Yeoksam 1-dong Community Service Center, the visiting nurses reside there and provide 1:1 health management services and preventive education. The ‘Yeoksam Senior Health Management Center’ opened last October and was operated twice a week. From October to December last year, an average of 60 people visited the center monthly, and 571 basic health checkups and counseling services were provided. As the number of users and satisfaction increased, the operation frequency was expanded from twice a week to five times a week.

When visiting the center, basic health checks (blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, elderly depression, cognitive screening tests, etc.) are conducted first, and guidance and support for health management methods are provided. After six months, a re-examination is conducted to reassess health status, serving as a continuous health partner.

Additionally, various small-group health programs are operated for seniors. Programs include ▲ prevention and management of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases ▲ improvement of nutritional status and oral care ▲ prevention of urinary incontinence ▲ fall prevention ▲ cognitive function enhancement through brain gymnastics ▲ depression relief through horticultural activities.

The service is available to seniors aged 65 and older residing in Gangnam-gu and vulnerable groups such as basic livelihood security recipients, and visits require prior reservation. Operating hours are weekdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and reservations can be made by phone or in person.

Jo Seong-myeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, said, “We have expanded the operation of the Yeoksam Senior Center, which provides close-knit health management for residents, so that more people can use it,” adding, “We will continue to identify residents’ needs and do our best in health prevention and management.”

Yeongdeungpo-gu Joins Hands with the Korea Association of Realtors to Intensify Discovery of At-Risk Households

February 9: Signed MOU with Korea Association of Realtors Yeongdeungpo Branch and Honorary Social Welfare Officers

Welfare services linked based on at-risk household information provided by the Realtors Association

1,244 Honorary Social Welfare Officers Active; 233 At-Risk Households Discovered Last Year, Building a Community Safety Net

Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) announced on the 9th that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Korea Association of Realtors Yeongdeungpo Branch to discover socially at-risk households through honorary social welfare officers.

The signing ceremony was attended by Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, Yoo Jeong-hee, President of the Korea Association of Realtors Yeongdeungpo Branch, and others, who signed the agreement and agreed to build a dense community safety net.

Honorary social welfare officers are unpaid, honorary personnel composed of residents and organizations living in the district, serving as a human safety net to discover and support at-risk households in the community.

Through this agreement, the Korea Association of Realtors Yeongdeungpo Branch will regularly provide the district with information on socially isolated households at risk of financial hardship. Additionally, when lease contracts are signed through realtors, they will actively promote the discovery of at-risk households to landlords or tenants.

The district conducts in-depth counseling and investigations on at-risk households based on the information provided by the Realtors Association and connects them with necessary welfare services. The results are regularly shared with the Realtors Association to strengthen inter-agency cooperation and information sharing on at-risk households.

The district recognizes the need for a more diverse discovery system to find at-risk households in welfare blind spots, such as the Sinchon mother and daughter case and the Suwon three mothers case, and expects that the ongoing activities of realtors, who are closely connected to housing-vulnerable groups, will greatly aid in the continuous discovery and support of at-risk households.

Currently, 1,244 honorary social welfare officers, including workers in service industries, members of the community security council, and welfare community leaders, are active in the district. While engaged in their livelihoods, they devote efforts to discovering neighbors in need, having identified 233 at-risk households last year.

Accordingly, the district continuously recruits honorary social welfare officers throughout the year from various fields such as beauty salons and traditional markets. Not only service industry workers but any residents willing to participate voluntarily can join as honorary social welfare officers. Those interested can inquire at their local community service center based on their address or business location.

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, expressed gratitude to the honorary social welfare officers, saying, “I thank the honorary social welfare officers who diligently watch over every corner of the community and work hard to discover at-risk households,” and added, “We will actively discover at-risk households and extend warm hands to them to create a happy Yeongdeungpo where no one is left out.”