Gangdong-gu Receives 'Minister of Health and Welfare Award' for Dementia Public Guardianship Project

Public Guardianship Support for Dementia Seniors with Difficulty in Appointing Guardians
The Only Autonomous District in Seoul to Receive the Top Excellence Award

Exterior view of Gangdong District Office.

Gangdong-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Lee Su-hee) announced on the 5th that it was the only autonomous district in Seoul to receive the "Minister of Health and Welfare Award (Grand Prize)" at the '2024 Dementia Public Guardianship Project Best Practice Presentation Contest.'

Co-hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Central Dementia Center, this presentation contest recognized contributions to ensuring the dignity of dementia patients and the development of the public guardianship project. Only three out of 256 dementia safety centers nationwide received the grand prize.

The Gangdong-gu Dementia Safety Center operates the dementia public guardianship system to help dementia elderly who have difficulty appointing guardians themselves due to reduced decision-making ability, especially those isolated from family and lacking family support, to lead stable lives.

In particular, since 2018, the district has taken the lead in overcoming various trials and errors as a national pilot institution for the dementia public guardianship project and establishing a stable foundation for the project's settlement. Additionally, it has been highly evaluated for participating as an advisory member of the Central Dementia Center's dementia public guardianship project, contributing to the publication of the project manual, and conducting training for dementia public guardianship practitioners and public guardians.

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.

District Mayor Lee Su-hee stated, "Gangdong-gu will continue to fulfill its role as a leading institution in the dementia public guardianship project, making every effort to ensure that dementia patients without families in the district are guaranteed dignity as human beings and can enjoy a comfortable old age."