Gangdong-gu Public Health Center Actively Promotes Dementia Management Project and Contributes to Creating a Dementia-Friendly Environment for Dementia Patients and Families, Awarded Prime Minister's Commendation in Dementia Prevention and Management at the 16th Dementia Overcoming Day Ceremony
Kangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Soo-hee) received the Prime Minister's Award in the dementia prevention and management category at the government awards ceremony commemorating the 16th Dementia Overcoming Day held on the 21st, recognizing its contributions to dementia management projects.
Among the autonomous districts of Seoul, Kangdong-gu is the only public institution selected rather than an individual.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare annually commemorates Dementia Overcoming Day (September 21) by discovering and selecting individuals and organizations that have actively promoted dementia management projects under the national dementia responsibility system and contributed to overcoming dementia, and awards them accordingly.
Looking at Kangdong-gu’s efforts to overcome dementia so far, the district opened and has been operating a Dementia Safety Center since 2007 amid the continuous increase in the elderly population aged 65 and over and dementia prevalence. In 2019, following the implementation of the national dementia responsibility system, remodeling work was completed to consolidate and expand the existing center space, allowing residents to use the facility in a more comfortable and pleasant environment.
Additionally, the district established the nation’s first Dementia Family Support Center, contributing to the creation of a dementia-friendly environment where dementia patients and their families can coexist with the local community. During the COVID-19 infectious disease crisis, it provided non-face-to-face dementia treatment combined with home nursing for generations unfamiliar with information and communication (IT) services, helping ensure uninterrupted dementia screening and safe medical activities.
As a result, Kangdong-gu’s non-face-to-face dementia treatment service was the first in Korea to be featured on the main page of the World Health Organization (WHO) website commemorating World Health Day, showcasing the creativity and excellence of Korea’s public health care to the world and presenting a leading and exemplary business model and direction.
Furthermore, in 2018, Kangdong-gu was selected as a nationwide pilot district for the dementia public guardianship project, establishing a stable foundation and standards for the settlement of the dementia public project. The district is also making efforts to strengthen the care system within the community by building a public-private cooperation system through projects such as Dementia Safety Villages and Dementia Safety Primary Care Physician projects.
Mayor Lee Soo-hee of Kangdong-gu stated, “Dementia is not just an issue for individuals and families but a social problem that the entire community must overcome together.” She added, “We will continue to do our best to create a Kangdong-gu free from dementia worries by providing various dementia prevention and management services that all residents, not only dementia patients and their families, can feel.”
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