"My Neighbor Came to My House Saying They Would Help Me Exercise" [Turning My Home into a Senior House]

"My neighbor comes to my house to help me exercise"
Residents caring for residents as 'Health Care Leaders'
Neighbors interested in elderly welfare volunteer in the community
A doctor examines the seniors and prescribes exercises
Health Care Leaders visit seniors' homes,
Exercise and provide care together

▲Grandmother Choi Seon-rae is doing leg exercises with a 'Health Leader' who visited her home in Sosabon-dong, Bucheon City, on December 26 last year. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

"Heave-ho! Mother, you have to tighten your lower abdomen with a strong breath like this to be able to get up from the chair."

Choi Seon-rye, an 89-year-old grandmother living in a residential area on Eunseong-ro, Sosa-gu, Bucheon City, put strength into her legs and suddenly stood up, then sat back down again. "Oh dear. It's hard." "Only two more times left. Heave-ho!" The person comforting and encouraging her beside her is Seo Bo-mi (42), a neighborhood neighbor and community leader. She visits Grandma Choi's house once a week as a ‘Health Care Leader.’

"Mother, this time it's cycling. Stretch your legs a bit more and pedal vigorously." Grandma Choi struggled to lift her legs, stiff as dry firewood, and pedaled with effort.

The Health Care Leader system was created by Bucheon City, a pilot area for integrated care, as a social safety net where ‘residents care for residents.’ People among Bucheon citizens who are interested in the health and care of elderly neighbors can apply. Once selected, they receive 20 hours of care training and visit local seniors' homes to exercise together. The necessary exercises are informed in advance by a doctor.

Kim Ah-young, an officer of Bucheon City's Integrated Care Team, explained, "A doctor first visits the care recipient's home to assess the necessary exercises, and the Health Care Leader assists with exercises based on that." Grandma Choi has stayed home all day since she fell last autumn and stopped visiting the nursing home. As a result, she was diagnosed with an urgent need for leg exercises.

Every time Seo visits Grandma Choi's house, she brings a full 30-minute care plan. She measures blood pressure and blood sugar levels and massages Grandma's legs with a massage gun. This is the warm-up before leg exercises.

▲Grandmother Choi Seon-rye is receiving a hand massage from a 'Health Leader' who visited her home in Sosabon-dong, Bucheon City, on December 26 last year. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

"After all the exercises, I give a hand massage with aroma oil as a way of saying ‘thank you for your hard work.’" When Seo took the oil out of her bag, Grandma Choi entrusted her wrinkled hands and said, "I’m living a life of luxury like this."

Currently, 20 Bucheon citizens participate as Health Care Leaders. They visit the homes of 80 elderly people living alone every week. The care period is six months, and the activity fee is 9,000 won per household. It is essentially volunteer work.

The elderly receiving care services do not pay any fees. Since this system was established in 2019, it has been supported by Bucheon City's budget. Officer Kim said, "We select recipients based on care needs regardless of economic status, and most are elderly people living alone who receive basic livelihood security or belong to the lower-income bracket."

▲Grandmother Choi Seon-rae is receiving a massage from a health leader who visited her home in Sosabon-dong, Bucheon City, on December 26 last year. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Just as Seo was about to leave the house, the old aluminum-framed front door creaked open. Two grandmothers from the next door peeked their heads through the gap. "Are you done with the exercises?" Grandma Choi took three Vegemil cartons from the refrigerator, put one into Seo’s bag, and handed one each to the grandmothers.

"I have no family. I divorced early and have no children. I had five siblings, but they all died of cancer." Grandma Choi lost all her assets caring for her family’s illnesses. She moved to this neighborhood 10 years ago and settled down. Over time, she made friends who are like family.

"Every winter, grandmothers flock to my house. The heated floor in my house is very warm. If I ever have to go to a nursing home, the neighborhood grandmothers will have nowhere to go. So I have to stay healthy. I’m working hard on leg exercises, so by spring, I should be able to take a walk around the neighborhood with a cane."