[Report] Blood Pressure Readings Sent to Health Center... Senior Centers Have Become 'Smart'

Automatic Accumulation of Health Metrics like Blood Pressure at Public Health Centers
Transformed into Experiential Spaces for Remote Classes and Smart Farms

"Elderly, is this your usual blood pressure?" "Yes, it's usually around this level."

On the afternoon of the 14th, at 'Gangjanggol Senior Center' in Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, an elderly person is measuring their blood pressure at this smart senior center. The blood pressure readings taken at the senior center are automatically linked to the public health center. Photo by Hwang Seoyul chestnut@

On the afternoon of the 14th, we visited Gangjanggol Senior Center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. Choi Dal-im, a 65-year-old Smart Senior Center manager wearing a blue vest, scanned the QR code on an elderly person's name tag with a tablet PC camera, which logged into the 'Smart Health Management Service.' Then, using an Internet of Things (IoT) medical device, she measured the blood pressure of an elderly person, and the results immediately appeared on the tablet PC. Another elderly person, who had been silent during the blood pressure measurement, glanced at the numbers as soon as the measurement was finished and remarked, "It's about the same as usual."

Senior centers are transforming. They are no longer just places where elderly people come to alleviate boredom; programs such as health checkups through hyperconnectivity and singing classes have begun to be introduced. The Ministry of Science and ICT supports the Smart Village budget, and accordingly, the senior centers have become 'smart.'

At Smart Senior Centers, elderly people measure health indicators such as ▲weight (body composition) ▲blood pressure ▲blood sugar ▲body temperature. These data are automatically saved on the Smart Senior Center website and then automatically linked to about ten public health centers (100-Year Health Rooms). The regularly measured data at the senior centers are automatically stored at the health centers, creating a big data resource for health consultations.

On the afternoon of the 14th, elderly residents of Gangjanggol Senior Center in Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, are actively participating in a laughter therapy program conducted through a non-face-to-face video platform.
Photo by Hwang Seoyul chestnut@

Smart Senior Centers also conduct non-face-to-face leisure and health programs using ICT video platforms. On this day, a laughter therapy program was held. When the laughter therapy recreation instructor on the screen made a gesture of drinking alcohol to the trot song lyric "Sul~ mat-i jeongmal jota" ("Alcohol tastes really good"), an elderly person watching and mimicking the gesture burst into loud laughter. When another elderly person asked, "Why are you laughing?" the elderly person replied, "It's funny because I'm doing something I don't usually do." Kim Jeong-ja (82, female) said, "Exercising while watching the screen is enjoyable, and it's fun to see other senior centers too," adding, "After doing the program, my digestion improved." Every Friday, there is also a lecture by a senior center doctor (a practicing physician) to enhance the elderly's health management skills.

The significance of Smart Senior Centers lies in transforming senior centers from mere 'resting spaces' into 'activity spaces.' Non-face-to-face classes have drastically reduced the labor costs of hiring instructors for each senior center, enabling daily activity programs to be held at the centers. For example, if all 45 senior centers in Bucheon conducted face-to-face classes, they would have to spend 600,000 KRW each, totaling 2.7 million KRW in labor costs. However, by using a video platform to conduct simultaneous classes, paying the labor cost for just one instructor can cover all senior centers.

On the afternoon of the 14th, an elderly person is moving a green lettuce pot on a smart farm device installed at Gangjanggol Senior Center in Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Seoyul Hwang chestnut@

Horticultural therapy and food-sharing activities using IoT smart farms are also serving as sources of vitality for the elderly. Han Young-ja (79, female) said, "Watching the plants grow makes me feel better," and added, "After participating in laughter therapy and activity programs, my back pain has improved a lot."

Since March 2022, Bucheon City has been operating Smart Senior Centers linked with 45 centers in the city, 4 in Bonghwa, 1 in Jindo, and 4 in Buan, making it the first in the country. The Ministry of Science and ICT is conducting the 'Smart Village Project' to promote digitalization of local communities using ICT, allocating 26.3 billion KRW of the total 103.9 billion KRW project budget this year to Smart Senior Centers. Bucheon City plans to establish an additional 105 Smart Senior Centers once the Smart Village budget request submitted to the Ministry of Science and ICT is approved this year.