Anseong City Health Center Launches Pilot Exercise Program to Prevent Sarcopenia in Elderly

Additional Distribution of 100 AI Speakers for Elderly with Chronic Diseases and Mild Cognitive Impairment

On the 13th, Anseong City Public Health Center in Gyeonggi-do announced that it will jointly pilot the 'Sarcopenia Prevention Exercise Program' with the Gyeonggi-do Physical Therapy Association to improve the health of the elderly.

Sarcopenia is a condition that negatively affects balance ability due to decreased muscle mass and reduced motor function, increasing the risk of falls and physical disabilities.

The health center will provide personalized assessments for fall prevention and sarcopenia improvement for the elderly, as well as a systematic physical activity program through this project. The program will be held twice a week for four weeks starting from the first week of April at Anseong City Public Health Center and Gongdo Health Living Support Center. After the program ends, a follow-up test will be conducted to measure the improvement effects.

The pre-registration target group is elderly people aged 70 or older with chronic diseases and mild cognitive impairment. On the 20th and 21st, 50 applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis at Anseong City Public Health Center and Gongdo Health Living Support Center, respectively, to select the final participants.

Meanwhile, the health center is installing an additional 100 AI speakers for elderly people in need of care, mainly single-person households aged 65 or older, in cooperation with the 'Visiting Health and Welfare Team' in towns and townships.

Care recipients can request help through the AI speaker in emergencies, which connects them to SK Happiness Connector and 119 for 24-hour emergency rescue. They can also use services such as music, weather information, medication reminders, and conversation.

As part of the Anseong Mat-chum Community Care project, the city has been promoting this initiative since 2021 and currently provides services to about 400 households this year. This year, 83 resident health leaders, including 27 newly trained ones, will regularly visit care recipients to provide health monitoring, companionship activities, speaker management, and encouragement for healthy living, offering health and emotional support.

Shin Hyung-jin, director of Anseong City Public Health Center, said, "We will strive to establish various customized care systems so that the elderly in the jurisdiction can enjoy a healthy old age."