Bucheon Launches Full-Scale "Senior Center Primary Care Program" for Integrated On-Site Care

On May 8, the city of Bucheon in Gyeonggi Province announced the full-scale implementation of the "Senior Center Primary Care Program," in which medical and pharmaceutical associations visit 37 senior centers to provide medical services.

The Senior Center Primary Care Program is an integrated care service designed to regularly monitor the health of seniors who are in medical blind spots and to detect and prevent diseases at an early stage.

The program provides integrated services in various fields, including management of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, oral health checkups, traditional Korean medicine treatments such as acupuncture, medication counseling, and health management education. The focus is on supporting seniors to maintain a healthy life in their own communities, going beyond simple treatment.

Medical professionals from five medical and pharmaceutical associations in Bucheon?including the Medical Association, Dental Association, Korean Medicine Association, Pharmaceutical Association, and Nursing Association?as well as nurses from the public health center’s home visit health management project, visit senior centers to offer customized health management services such as health consultations, medication guidance, and blood pressure and blood glucose measurements.

This project is expected to not only improve medical accessibility for seniors who have difficulty visiting medical institutions, but also to address medical care blind spots in the community by establishing a prevention-centered integrated care system that includes prevention of chronic disease deterioration, maintenance of daily functioning, and emotional support.

The Senior Center Primary Care Program will be operated at a total of 37 locations, with one senior center selected in each district.

Kim Eunok, director of the Bucheon Public Health Center, said, "The Senior Center Primary Care Program is significant in that it promotes senior health and provides integrated prevention management and early intervention," adding, "We will continue to work harder to eliminate medical blind spots in the community and establish a comprehensive integrated care system."