Recently, silver towns have been showcasing differentiated medical systems. They are aiming to capture the senior demand segment with new services that represent an evolution beyond the existing ones.
In particular, silver towns focus intensively on medical facilities and care to cater to the characteristics of senior consumers. Since seniors generally suffer from illnesses or require regular professional medical management, more intensive health care is essential.
Based on these points, domestic silver towns are establishing their own differentiated medical systems. For example, ‘Samsung Noble County’ located in Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, opened the first specialized center for dementia prevention among senior towns in Korea. Through this, it operates cognitive prevention programs and a wellbeing center, offering differentiated care with segmented resident health management.
Additionally, ‘The Classic 500’ in Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, provides services linked with Konkuk University Hospital, including dedicated primary physician consultations, personalized meal prescriptions by dedicated nutritionists, and customized exercise prescriptions. The ultimate goal of this silver town is to pursue tailored services through a lifelong health promotion center, emphasizing a professional and segmented medical system.
Regarding the prominence of medical systems in silver towns, an industry insider stated, “Most residents of silver towns are elderly for whom health is crucial, so customized medical services suited to them are fundamental.” He added, “As the aging era approaches, it is necessary to continuously build diverse and specialized medical systems to provide ongoing care.”
Accordingly, ‘VL Le West,’ scheduled to be supplied by Lotte Construction in the Magok district of Seoul this March, is attracting attention. ‘VL Le West’ will be a high-end senior residence located within the Magok MICE complex in Seoul, consisting of 4 buildings from 6 basement floors to 15 above-ground floors, with a total of 810 units.
In particular, the complex will feature a differentiated medical system unique to VL Le West. First, it will operate and support a segmented and systematic health management center through a business agreement with Bobath Memorial Hospital. Services will include personalized health checks, special management by disease type, and an emergency SOS alarm service capable of “proactive response” through real-time biometric signal monitoring, introduced for the first time in domestic senior welfare housing.
Through an agreement with Ewha Seoul Hospital, residents will have access to specialist consultations and health checkups, with a dedicated resident-only counter and discount benefits enabling prompt medical care without long waiting times when using the hospital.
Furthermore, as VL Le West is located in the ‘Gangseo Miracle Medi Special Zone,’ residents can also enjoy higher-quality medical infrastructure. This area boasts the second-largest concentration of hospital-level or higher specialized medical facilities in Seoul, offering high-quality medical services specialized in spine and infertility treatments. Within the Magok district, Ewha Seoul Hospital with 1,014 beds has opened, and Mizmedi Hospital, Welton Hospital, and Seoul Star Hospital are also under development.
Additionally, a differentiated medical tourism infrastructure is being established to attract patients with severe diseases, along with projects to revitalize medical tourism and realize a medical tourism city, providing a segmented medical environment. This allows nearby consumers to enjoy higher-quality medical services.
Moreover, the premium senior brand ‘VL,’ operated and supported by Lotte Hotel, will be applied to provide hotel-level resident services. Residents can enjoy “hotel-style concierge services” such as reservation agency, business support, and mail management; “housekeeping services” offering various cleaning within units (60 minutes twice a week); “hotel chef-managed meal plans” based on hotel restaurant expertise; and “one-stop services” managing various inquiries and requests through a single channel.
Senior-customized specialized designs will also be introduced. These include senior housing layouts developed by Lotte Construction, one-room one-bathroom layouts reflecting the independence of active seniors, sliding doors and no-step plans throughout all units considering physical and safety aspects, and circular circulation structures within units. Inside the units, smart daily life will be supported through an ‘IOT system’ featuring emergency call systems, motion detection sensors, cooling systems, and healthcare systems, enabling convenient and healthy living.
Additionally, ‘VL Le West’ boasts a ‘one-stop’ infrastructure with underground pedestrian passages connecting the subway and nearby parks within the complex.
It has a triple station area with Magok Station on Subway Line 5, Magoknaru Station on Subway Line 9 and the Airport Railroad, all directly connected to the complex via underground pedestrian passages, allowing for more convenient use. Major roads such as Airport-daero and Olympic-daero also enable quick access to Seoul’s main downtown areas and the metropolitan area.
Within walking distance, there is the approximately 150,000-pyeong ‘Seoul Botanical Garden’ connected to the complex, offering various walking programs linked with parks. Also, the approximately 500,000㎡ ecological park ‘Seoul Botanic Park’ is located nearby, and all these parks are accessible via underground pedestrian passages within the complex.
Currently, ‘VL Le West’ is operating a model exhibition hall.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
