Operation of 'Seulgiroun Uri Jip Sayongbeop' Home Environment Improvement Project as Part of Customized Case Management for Dementia Seniors
Providing Home Environment Safety Sticker Books, Safety Item Packages, etc. to About 400 Households in the Area... Supporting Healthy and Safe Daily Life with Simple Home Repairs for Dementia Seniors Living Alone
Gangdong-gu (District Mayor Lee Soo-hee) announced on the 31st that it will promote the “Smart Use of Our Home” project, a cognitive health home environment improvement service, to support the healthy and safe daily lives of dementia patients.
Elderly dementia patients are classified as a safety-vulnerable group who can suffer serious injuries even from minor accidents. In particular, since the “home” is the place where the most safety accidents occur among the elderly, the “home” is both a place where elderly dementia patients live their daily lives and a place where their safety is threatened.
Accordingly, the district operates the “Smart Use of Our Home” project through the Dementia Safety Center to prevent accidents at home for dementia patients and support safe and independent daily living.
The “Smart Use of Our Home” project is a customized case management program designed to identify the needs of dementia patients and their families and create a safe home environment accordingly. Through this project, the district distributes cognitive health home environment safety sticker books and home safety education videos to about 400 households in the area, and provides packages containing safety and fire prevention items (such as night sensor lights, multipurpose storage cabinets, cognitive activity workbooks, and outlet fire patches) to about 80 households that require emergency and intensive management.
In particular, the district focuses on improving the home environment for about 20 households of dementia patients living alone by conducting home environment assessments to check and remove safety hazards. To prevent safety accidents and disasters, the district installs devices such as safety grab bars for toilets, fire detectors, and fire extinguishers. Additionally, health managers organized in pairs are trained and connected to provide activities using the “Cognitive Activity Workbook” and companionship support to enhance the cognitive abilities and emotional support of the subjects.
To this end, the district formed the “Smart Use of Our Home Operation Committee” last March in collaboration with various related organizations such as Gangdong Fire Station, SH Corporation Gangdong Residential Safety Comprehensive Center, Seongnae Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, and Welfare Equipment Center, continuously cooperating to ensure that local resources are properly linked to dementia households in need of assistance.
Kim Yeo-jin, Director of the Dementia Safety Center, said, “Through this home environment improvement project, we hope to transform into a dementia-friendly society where dementia patients and their families in the community can live in a safer and more comfortable environment.”
In addition, the district operates various support projects related to dementia counseling, prevention and management of dementia, and support for dementia patients and their families to reduce their burdens and create a community environment where they can live well together. For more details, please contact the Gangdong-gu Dementia Safety Center or the Dementia Counseling Call Center.
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