"Loneliness, Depression, Poverty"... How Autonomous Districts Address the Super-Aged Society

Seeking Various Solutions by Autonomous Districts
Companion Plants, Filial Piety Meals, Senior Playgrounds, etc.
Emotional Bonds and Communication Are Above All Important

An elderly person participating in the horticultural therapy program in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, is making a flowerpot. (Photo by Gangdong-gu Office)

The elderly suicide rate ranks overwhelmingly first among OECD countries, and the poverty rate is also the highest. Suicide rates are closely linked not only to health but also to individuals' economic situations, and with added loneliness and isolation, it becomes increasingly difficult for the elderly to escape this quagmire. As the aging population grows and poverty issues worsen, local districts are seeking solutions in their own ways.

Gangdong-gu in Seoul is conducting a ‘Companion Plant Distribution Project’ that helps with psychological healing. It is a horticultural therapy program where elderly people create companion pots with plants that are easy to grow at home and communicate through exhibitions and other events. In the horticultural therapy program, participants learn ‘making their own companion pots’ and ‘plant care education’ to enable communication and network formation through plants. The participating elderly build bonds with the plants by naming their companion plants themselves and can also communicate with other residents who participate together.

Gangdong-gu created this program to address elderly depression and solitary death issues. Although the role or solutions that the district can provide are limited, this is a solution found within that scope. The district conducted this project by receiving recommendations for 300 vulnerable elderly people through welfare centers in the area.

According to Gangdong-gu, a self-satisfaction survey showed that over 95% of participants found the project ‘suitable’ for health management and life vitality, and participants’ depression and anxiety scores improved compared to before participation.

A thank-you message sent to Mapo District Office by elderly participants of the Hyo-do Bapsang program and their children living apart. (Provided by Mapo District Office)

Mapo-gu decided to further expand the Filial Piety Meal project, which was first implemented nationwide in April last year. The Filial Piety Meal provides meals six days a week to local elderly living alone aged 75 and over, and currently, about 500 elderly living alone use the Filial Piety Meal at 17 meal service institutions within Mapo-gu.

There are cases where balanced meals have improved health indicators such as diabetes and blood pressure, and it is also effective in preventing risky situations like solitary death by enabling welfare checks. Participants living alone who receive the Filial Piety Meal said, “Having a place to go and someone to talk to is the best thing,” and “The district office provides meals and checks on us, so it feels like my children are showing filial piety.”

To involve more elderly people, Mapo-gu plans to create a ‘side dish factory’ capable of preparing 1,000 servings by utilizing idle facilities in Mangwon-dong this year. Mapo-gu explained that if the number of new meal service institutions receiving side dishes from the factory increases this year, by the end of the year, they will be able to provide 1,500 Filial Piety Meals, three times the current amount.

In the past, many playgrounds were built for children, but now ‘playgrounds for the elderly’ are the trend. Dongjak-gu established the ‘Elderly Health Park,’ a Seoul-style elderly playground, at Sadang Meeting Park and started operating it on the 2nd of this month.

This place is equipped with outdoor exercise equipment suited to the physical conditions of the elderly and flooring with elastic materials that do not strain the knee joints. Dongjak-gu opened the ‘Elderly Happiness Call Center,’ the first of its kind among Seoul districts last year, and plans to expand customized healthcare equipment in senior centers this year.

Senior Health Playground in Sadang-dong, Dongjak-gu. (Photo by Dongjak-gu Office)