"Let's Care for the Health and Safety of Elderly Living Alone"… Seocho-gu Visiting Nurses Transform into 'Santa' for Home Visits

Providing Gifts and Health Management Services

Seocho-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) announced on the 25th that 29 visiting nurses transformed into Santas this month to visit the homes of 236 elderly people living alone, delivering Christmas gifts and providing health management services.

Visiting a single elderly person's home. Provided by Seocho-gu.

They delivered winter protection items essential for maintaining body temperature, such as scarves and hot packs, as Christmas gifts to the elderly. They also provided personalized health management services including guidance on symptoms and prevention of cold-related illnesses, blood pressure and blood sugar tests, chronic disease management, and medication counseling to help the elderly safely get through the cold winter.

The visiting nurse health management project is aimed at vulnerable groups in the community, where assigned nurses identify and manage health issues to improve health levels and enhance quality of life.

During cold wave periods, visiting nurses mainly provide education on cold wave health management methods, monitor health status, support heating and warming supplies, and coordinate with public health centers and hospitals. The district official explained that it is especially important to prevent hypothermia, blood pressure spikes, and respiratory infections early through visiting health management, as these conditions commonly occur among the elderly and chronic patients.

Meanwhile, as part of making Seocho a better place for the elderly to live, the district has been operating the ‘Healing Agriculture Program Using Plant Resources’ about 20 times annually in collaboration with ‘Cooking Seoul Farmer,’ the only one among Seoul’s autonomous districts. The program has shown high satisfaction among participating elderly and confirmed effects in improving depression.

Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “We will continue to take good care of the health and safety of elderly people living alone so that they can spend a safe and happy daily life during the year-end and New Year holidays.”