Jungnang-gu Junghwa 2-dong Resident Center Officer Park Su-jin's Quick Response Saves Precious Life

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Diverse Welfare Policies Established to Prevent Solitary Deaths Among Vulnerable Groups

Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi) is in the spotlight for saving a precious life thanks to the quick response of an employee at the Junghwa 2-dong Community Service Center.

On the 16th, Park Su-jin, an officer at the Junghwa 2-dong Community Service Center, visited the home of welfare recipient A, who was usually easy to contact but had not been reachable. Finding no response, she sensed something was wrong and reported it to the police.

A is a basic livelihood security recipient with a chronic illness living alone, and the community center had been regularly checking on their well-being.

Since A’s phone was off after the last contact on the 12th and no contact was made until the 15th, there were concerns about their safety.

The police, upon receiving the report, arrived and, together with the fire department, forcibly opened the front door and found A collapsed at the entrance. At the time of discovery, A was unable to speak and could barely move their hand.

A was safely transported to the hospital and confirmed to be out of danger.

This unfortunate situation, which could have led to a solitary death, was averted thanks to the quick judgment and response of the staff and cooperation with related agencies, saving a precious life.

The district operates various welfare policies to prevent solitary deaths among vulnerable groups like A and to continuously check on their well-being.

First, through the ‘Our Neighborhood Care Team,’ households at risk of solitary death are cared for. The care team, composed of local residents familiar with the area, calls the recipients weekly to check on their well-being and health, visits their homes to provide companionship, and offers emotional support while confirming their status.

They have also established a care service using smart devices. The ‘AI Well-being Check Service’ makes weekly calls at set times using artificial intelligence to check on recipients. Additionally, they support the use of a smart device called a ‘Smart Plug,’ which incorporates Internet of Things (IoT) technology to monitor the well-being of vulnerable groups. The Smart Plug is a multi-outlet power strip commonly used at home that measures the power consumption or brightness of frequently used appliances (TV, microwave, etc.) to confirm the resident’s status.

Moreover, the community center creates an annual monitoring plan for welfare recipients to regularly check on their well-being, striving to prevent solitary deaths and alleviate social isolation.

Ryu Gyeong-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “I thank Officer Park Su-jin for saving a precious life through her quick response and judgment,” and added, “We will continue to carefully check on residents to ensure no neighbors are left isolated and strengthen support measures to prevent solitary deaths.”