Suwon City in Gyeonggi Province has identified 332 individuals aged 40 to 64 from low-income households who are at risk of dying alone.
Suwon City announced on May 7 that, from March 11 to April 4, it used a risk assessment tool for solitary death to evaluate 4,892 middle-aged and low-income individuals. As a result, 332 people (6.8%) were classified as being at risk (scoring 6 or higher out of a possible 13 points), while those scoring 5 or lower were considered not at risk.
By district, Jangan-gu had the highest number with 130 individuals, followed by Gwonseon-gu with 73, Yeongtong-gu with 66, and Paldal-gu with 63.
Suwon City assessed the welfare needs of the at-risk group identified in this survey and connected them to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's pilot project for preventing solitary death, including the Saebit Anbu Toktok check-in service and artificial intelligence (AI) speakers. In addition, Suwon City provided customized support to socially isolated individuals through the seven main services of Suwon Saebit Care (Nuguna), such as meal support, companion care, housing safety, and psychological counseling.
Those requiring mental health counseling or treatment due to depression or alcohol dependence will be sequentially referred to mental health-related institutions, such as the Mental Health Welfare Center and the Suwon City Suicide Prevention Center.
Suwon City also plans to connect the at-risk group identified in this survey to new solitary death prevention programs, such as the Hope Narae Support Project and the Saebit Relationship Network Formation Program.
Lee Jaejun, Mayor of Suwon City, stated, "We will continue to monitor those identified as at risk of solitary death through check-in service connections and case management selection." He also urged, "Please use the Welfare Crisis Notification app to quickly report households in crisis in your community, and join us in helping to resolve welfare blind spots."
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