Operation of Dementia Safety Noriter in Gwanak-gu

Operation of Dementia Safety Play Centers in Daehak-dong and Inheon-dong Designated as Dementia Safety Villages in 2024

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is operating the second half of the 'Dementia Safety Noriter (老利攄)' program to prevent dementia among local residents.

The Dementia Safety Noriter (老利攄) is a program first planned and launched last year, which in its inaugural year won the top prize nationwide at the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Best Practice Competition, receiving recognition as the "Direction for Autonomous District Dementia Safety Centers to Move Forward."

The program is designed to enhance various cognitive areas such as memory, concentration, spatiotemporal perception, language ability, and calculation skills by dividing activities into physical and brain exercises, allowing participants to experience different content each week in a balanced manner.

As a result of operating the Dementia Safety Noriter in Sinsa-dong and Haengun-dong during the first half of the year, participants showed a decrease in subjective memory decline and depression, and the program satisfaction rating averaged over 4.6 out of 5 points.

In the second half of the year, from August 21 to October 23, for 8 weeks, the program will be held every Tuesday at 'Saemmal Park' in Daehak-dong and every Wednesday at 'Bamgeo Children's Park' in Inheon-dong from 2 PM to 4 PM. Any resident of Gwanak-gu can participate.

The program content has been enhanced to help seniors adapt to the digital age by including kiosk experiences using electronic devices and adding KOTRAS cognitive training problems. Additionally, free dementia (memory) tests and a memory recovery campaign will be conducted together, allowing participants to assess their memory level and enjoyably resolve any questions about dementia.

Participants in the first half of the program expressed high satisfaction, saying things like, “I was stressed because I couldn’t quickly recall words recently, but after learning to say words by looking at the initial consonants, I could do it alone at home, which was great,” and “It wasn’t boring like studying; it was an enjoyable experience like playing.” Especially, some expressed such high satisfaction that they requested notification texts to continue attending even if the program moves to another neighborhood.

An official from the district said, “We hope that by participating in the Dementia Safety Noriter (老利攄), people will meet others, get some fresh air, take care of their health, and enjoy daily life,” adding, “Since souvenirs are provided to participants every week, we hope many residents will use this excellent program that helps make daily life a dementia prevention activity.”