Practical Welfare Measures
to Support Elderly Nutrition
and Prevent Solitary Deaths
A regular side dish sharing program has been launched to support the dietary needs and alleviate emotional isolation of elderly, middle-aged, and young single-person households, who together account for 36% of the total population in Geumsan County.
Since its establishment in March 2002, Geumsan Hope Hill (a registered corporation) has consistently carried out various welfare activities, including free meal services, support for the modernization of kitchens and bathrooms (conversion to Western-style facilities), the "Visiting Happy Table" program (a filial piety event offering performances and banquet meals), as well as mobile knife sharpening and hairdressing volunteer services.
Beginning July 1 of this year, with designated donations from Hankook Tire and support from the Chungnam Community Chest of Korea, the organization has been delivering carefully prepared side dishes to 20 households every week and 40 households every other week. This time, Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) was also provided to help seniors replenish their energy during the heatwave.
As of January this year, the total population of Geumsan County, Chungcheongnam-do, was 49,442, of which approximately 17,800 (36%) were aged 65 or older. This figure is significantly higher than the national average (23.61%) and the Chungnam average (28.77%), clearly indicating that Geumsan County has entered a super-aged society.
According to a 2022 report by the Seoul Institute, 39.7% of middle-aged single-person households skip at least one meal a day, and the elderly population shows even higher vulnerability in dietary habits. In particular, for elderly people living alone, external support for daily living is extremely limited, even when they require long-term care due to dementia or chronic illnesses.
The side dish sharing program has evolved beyond simple food delivery to become an integrated care service that encompasses nutritional improvement, emotional interaction, and the alleviation of care gaps. Hope Hill is currently working to expand the program from a biweekly to a weekly delivery system.
Yoo Sanghyun, the representative, stated, "We must approach the isolation and dietary crises of single-person households in the region not merely as inconveniences, but from the perspective of preventing solitary deaths and supporting a dignified old age." He added, "We will continue to expand the scale of sharing so that we can deliver warm meals and heartfelt care to even more neighbors in the future."
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