"We Are Your Family"... Angels Standing by the Last Moments of Those Without Family Ties [2025 Unclaimed Deaths Report ⑪]

Dail Small Heaven, Home to 28 Residents Without Family Ties
Providing Care and Supporting Independence for Those Without Family

"It's so good to see you walking well. Please don't be sick alone."

On the 26th of last month, Jomi Jin, Head Nurse, and Min Kidong (82), a resident, are taking a photo at Dail Small Heaven in Jeonnong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Seungwook Park

At 1 p.m. on the 26th of last month, at Dail Small Heaven, a care facility operated by the Dail Welfare Foundation near Cheongnyangni Station in Seoul. Jomi Jin, the head nurse, smiled as she met Min Kidong (82), a resident with no family ties, in the hallway and said, "Did you receive your treatment well? If you're in pain, don't hold it in-please be sure to tell us."

Mr. Min, a former civilian employee of the military, has been living here for about 10 years since his admission in 2015. He has a wife and a younger sibling, but has lost contact with them for a long time. About a month ago, Mr. Min developed gallstones and was hospitalized at Seoul Medical Center before returning on this day. He said, "The nurses and social workers change the diapers of patients without showing any signs of hardship, and they always talk to us with a smile. I think of them as angels," adding, "They're much younger than I am, but when I see how they act, I can't help but speak to them with respect."

Dail Small Heaven currently has 32 residents. Of these, 28 are without family connections, most of whom were discovered through the Seoul Station and Yeongdeungpo Hope Support Centers before coming here. The Dail Welfare Foundation, entrusted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, helps vulnerable people who need hospice care or nursing care due to severe illness to stay here until the end of their lives.

On the 26th of last month, Jomi Jin, Head Nurse, is caring for residents at Dail Small Heaven in Jeonnong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Seungwook Park

The staff at Dail Small Heaven become family to those who are left alone. To prevent residents from being bedridden all day, they provide music therapy and art therapy once a week, and pay extra attention so that no one feels lonely. One social worker said, "We give each person a flowerpot as a gift and encourage them to take care of it, which also gives us a chance to talk together. We teach them how to care for the plant, and when the plant grows well, the residents also blossom with smiles."

They also support the self-reliance of residents without family. Head nurse Jin said, "Some residents are eligible for welfare benefits but are not actually receiving them, so we help them access institutional support. For the elderly, this can be difficult, but for those who are relatively young, we support their recovery and help them find jobs so they can live independently."

In fact, Yang Siyoung (58), who now works here as a sanitation worker, was once a resident who succeeded in becoming self-reliant. After a business failure, he lost contact with his family and became homeless, living at Dail Small Heaven from August 2018 to April 2021. Mr. Yang said, "When I first came here, my health was poor due to diabetes and other issues, but thanks to the help of the nurses and social workers, I was able to regain the will to become independent. Later, I got the opportunity to work here and now I am responsible for helping residents with bathing and other hygiene needs as a sanitation worker."

On the 26th of last month, Min Kidong (82), an entrant at Dail Small Heaven in Jeonnong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, is handing a beverage to Jomi Jin, the head nurse.

Six out of ten people without family ties die in medical facilities. If there is no family or if relatives refuse to claim the body due to severed relationships, the deceased is registered as having no family and a public funeral is held. In effect, they pass away alone, or volunteer groups see them off on their final journey.

In contrast, Dail Small Heaven takes responsibility for the funerals of departing residents. A farewell ceremony is held in the memorial room on the basement floor, where a funeral service is conducted to honor the deceased. Head nurse Jin said, "When someone who spent their life here as family passes away, we believe we must hold their funeral as well. Being family means being together until the very end."