Met with Over 600 Seniors at Senior Centers in 16 Neighborhoods
As the record-breaking heatwave continues, Park Heeyoung, head of Yongsan-gu District, visited senior centers to check on the health of elderly residents and inspected the facilities being operated as cooling shelters.
Park Heeyoung, mayor of Yongsan District, is conducting on-site communication for seniors' "Safe Summer" at Cheonghwa Apartment Senior Center in Itaewon 1-dong on the 18th. Provided by Yongsan District.
The Yongsan-gu District Office in Seoul announced that it concluded its on-site communication program for the "Safe Summer for Seniors" initiative at senior centers in all 16 neighborhoods on July 28, which began on July 7.
This on-site communication involved visiting senior centers in each neighborhood to check on the well-being of the elderly and listen to their suggestions. Starting with Yangjitmal Senior Center in Huam-dong, Park Heeyoung personally met with over 600 seniors at representative senior centers in all 16 neighborhoods. At each center, 30 to 40 seniors gathered for in-depth discussions with representatives from the Yongsan-gu branch of the Korean Senior Citizens Association, the head of the Senior Welfare Division, and the neighborhood chief.
The on-site communication program included summer greetings for seniors, inspections of senior center operations and collection of suggestions, guidance on senior welfare policies, education on the prevention of dementia, elder abuse, and voice phishing, instruction on accounting and operational regulations for senior centers, and an introduction to the senior health management app "Today Health."
The district also carried out practical preparations to respond to the heatwave. Starting in May, it inspected and cleaned air conditioner filters at all senior centers in the district for one month. Since March, in cooperation with the Yongsan Regional Self-Sufficiency Center, it has conducted a thorough cleaning of all 93 senior centers in the area.
Kim Beomik (77), a senior at Hanmaeum Senior Center, expressed his gratitude, saying, "Before the heatwave began, the center was thoroughly cleaned and the air conditioner filters were maintained, so we are able to use the center in a cool and comfortable environment."
In the second half of the year, the district plans to introduce a "Smart Safety Monitoring System" at 49 district-run senior centers. This system will use fire, smoke, and water leakage sensors to monitor facility conditions in real time, and will be linked to the control center of a service provider and Yongsan-gu's welfare facility rapid response team "Speed Yongbanjang" to ensure a swift response to emergencies 24 hours a day, including weekends and nights.
Additionally, the district will implement a project to improve mobility and prevent falls among seniors. It will conduct a comprehensive survey of spaces at district-run senior centers that pose a risk of falls, such as restrooms, stairs, and entrances, and will install safety handrails in restrooms and on stairs.
Park Heeyoung, head of Yongsan-gu District, stated, "One year after the organizational restructuring to create the Senior Welfare Division, projects to enhance senior welfare have been greatly expanded," and added, "We will swiftly complete the establishment of a virtual reality sports room and an indoor screen park golf facility so that seniors can enjoy healthy leisure activities even during the heatwave."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
