Seongdong-gu Distributes Location-Tracking Shoes to Seniors with Dementia

Establishment of Smart Management System with 3,066 CCTVs... Sequential Distribution to 100 Dementia Seniors after First Batch on 27th

An elderly person receiving location-tracking shoes called 'Kkokkashin'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The biggest concern for families with elderly dementia patients is the whereabouts of the elderly, who may disappear at any moment and anywhere.

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) is distributing smart location-tracking shoes called ‘Kkokkashin’ for elderly dementia patients exposed to wandering risks.

‘Kkokkashin’ was inspired by the fact that elderly dementia patients tend to wear their shoes even if they leave other belongings behind. It is a shoe-type wandering detector equipped with GPS insoles capable of location tracking.

Location tracking and emergency rescue are handled in a one-stop manner through the ‘Seongdong Smart City Integrated Operation Center’ intelligent smart screening control system. A total of 3,066 CCTVs identify the location information of elderly wearing Kkokkashin, directly linked to the police station to initiate emergency rescue for the elderly.

When a person wearing Kkokkashin leaves a safe zone, an emergency alarm first sounds to the guardian, the Dementia Safety Center, and the Smart City Integrated Operation Center. The control center then verifies the video and location, and reconfirms the departure by phone with the family. Once confirmed, one-stop location tracking and police dispatch occur, sharing situation information to ensure the wandering or missing elderly safely return home.

Last September, the Seongdong-gu Dementia Safety Center introduced these shoes for the first time at the Seongdong-gu Dementia Overcoming Expo in collaboration with Smart Medical Device, which participated in the development of Kkokkashin. After signing a business agreement, the two organizations have worked to provide better services to dementia patients in Seongdong-gu by correcting errors, establishing an efficient service system, and holding family briefing sessions for Kkokkashin to build a stable system.

In March this year, a pilot operation was conducted with five dementia patients registered at the center, and from April 27, Kkokkashin was initially activated and distributed to 20 elderly individuals. In the future, it will be sequentially distributed to 100 elderly at risk of wandering.

An official from the district said, “Kkokkashin allows guardians to check the patient’s movement routes and activity range anytime by simply installing the app (APP), which will be useful for daily life management.”

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “I hope that Kkokkashin will become a smart companion that provides peace of mind to both the elderly using it and their families, establishing a ‘Seongdong-type wandering prevention system.’ We will also expand operations to various institutions such as those for the disabled.”

The district provides the shoes free of charge to elderly who wish to use the Kkokkashin service through prior application and supports communication fees for up to one year after activation. Seongdong-gu Dementia Safety Center (499-8071)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.