"Prioritizing Health of Vulnerable Groups"... Songpa-gu's Home Health Care in Preparation for Cold Wave

Songpa-gu to Provide Intensive Care for 21,433 Vulnerable Individuals Until March Next Year
Guidance and Education on Cold Wave Response for Elderly Living Alone, Disabled, and Chronic Patients
Residents Take Initiative to Check on Neighbors... Macheon 1-dong and Songpa 2-dong Confirm Well-being and Support Daily Necessities

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced on the 22nd that it will conduct on-site, close-contact health management for vulnerable groups until March 15 of next year in preparation for the cold wave this winter.

With a severe cold wave expected this winter, the cold weather has begun in earnest since last week.

Accordingly, the district is carrying out home-visit health management to help residents vulnerable to cold-related illnesses prepare for the cold wave.

The main targets are 21,433 health-vulnerable individuals registered in the home-visit health management project, including elderly living alone, disabled persons, and chronic patients.

Nine public health center visiting nurses and 27 visiting nursing staff from the community service centers check basic health conditions such as blood pressure and blood sugar levels through home visits. Intensive monitoring is conducted to respond promptly by linking with 119 emergency services if an emergency occurs.

Additionally, when a cold wave advisory is issued, guidelines on actions to take, symptoms and coping methods for cold-related illnesses, and winter fall prevention rules are provided, along with support of cold wave response supplies such as hot packs and thermal safety gloves to help residents spend a safe winter.

Since the start of the cold wave response period on November 15, 1,127 direct visits and 2,988 phone check-ins have been provided over the course of one month.

Moreover, in the community, residents take the lead in ensuring their neighbors have a healthy winter. In Macheon 1-dong, the neighborhood care group, together with welfare planners, visits the homes of about 230 residents including elderly living alone, while in Songpa 2-dong, the neighborhood care group, welfare helpers, and welfare community leaders conduct home visits and phone consultations to check on 330 low-income vulnerable households.

The district plans to manage residents’ safety and health status from multiple angles during the winter and provide customized welfare services such as daily necessities and medical expenses through linkage with private resources when necessary.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “The top priority of administration is to protect the health and safety of residents,” and added, “We will do our best to support residents so that they can spend this winter warmly and healthily despite the severe cold wave.”