Operating a Dedicated Organization for Isolated Households
Supporting High-Risk Youth for Solitary Death
Efforts to Strengthen Social Connections
Including the Operation of the 'Mind Convenience Store'
Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee), which has the highest proportion of single-person households among Seoul's autonomous districts at 62.6%, is implementing a ‘Comprehensive Plan for Isolation Prevention’ to address issues of loneliness, isolation, and social withdrawal.
This year, the district will actively promote 11 projects, including 7 new initiatives, to strengthen the care safety net and create a ‘Loneliness-Free Gwanak’ community.
The new projects include ▲strengthening the management foundation for solitary deaths through public-private cooperation such as operating a dedicated organization for isolated households ▲enhancing the system for identifying and managing high-risk groups including support for welfare-refusing households ▲strengthening social connections for isolated households through initiatives like operating a ‘Mind Convenience Store’ ▲and linking customized services by life cycle, such as support for youth at high risk of solitary death.
First, as the target of isolation prevention policies expands from isolated and withdrawn households and solitary death risk groups to ‘residents who feel lonely,’ the district plans to systematize the management foundation for preventing solitary deaths.
The comprehensive social welfare center will be designated as a ‘dedicated organization for isolated households’ to focus on managing medium- and high-risk isolated households. The main content includes proactive identification of crisis households through agreements among eight institutions including the district office, police, fire department, and welfare centers.
The ‘Youth Solitary Death High-Risk Group Support Project’ aims to resolve risk factors for solitary death among young people facing social disconnection by providing tailored support such as ▲mental recovery ▲relationship restoration ▲and daily life recovery.
Having operated community spaces for isolation prevention such as ‘Neighbor Sarangbang’ and ‘Single Bungle Sarangbang,’ the district will newly operate the ‘Mind Convenience Store’ this year. Through providing simple meals like ramen, isolated risk groups visiting the communication space created within the welfare center can also receive psychological support mentoring and massages.
Additionally, the district has expanded the number of private organizations carrying out the ‘Care Safety Net Formation Project for Middle-aged and Elderly Living Alone’ from 2 to 5 locations. With a more tightly knit welfare safety net, the district expects to effectively prevent isolation among high-risk middle-aged and elderly by expanding support for meals and jobs.
Moreover, from the welfare benefit consultation stage such as when applying for emergency welfare at the community service center, the degree of social withdrawal and isolation is checked together to link customized services according to the level of isolation, thereby strengthening the system for identifying, classifying, and supporting high-risk groups.
Meanwhile, last year, the district was honored with the first prize in the newly established ‘Solitary Death Prevention and Management’ category in the regional welfare project evaluation hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, recognizing its efforts to create a ‘Loneliness-Free City.’
Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “Research shows that loneliness is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day,” and added, “Since isolation and loneliness are social issues rather than individual problems, we will build a warm community in Gwanak where no one is lonely by enhancing cooperation with the private sector and participation of local residents.”
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