Nowon-gu, Remote Health Management Service for Seniors

With a budget of 400 million KRW, project to be launched in October targeting 700 seniors aged 65 and over... Heatwave health management service for vulnerable groups

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) will introduce a remote health management service using information and communication technology from October for seniors with chronic diseases who have limited access to medical care and need health improvement.

The remote health management service, with a project budget of 400 million KRW (200 million KRW national funds, 60 million KRW city funds, 140 million KRW district funds), provides various devices such as wristwatch-type activity trackers, Bluetooth blood pressure and blood glucose monitors, and AI speakers. This app-based non-face-to-face health management targets about 700 seniors aged 65 and older who own smartphones.

The remote health management service sets personal goals such as taking medication regularly, drinking 8 glasses of water daily, and walking for more than 30 minutes, and monitors whether these goals are practiced over six months.

Health lifestyle practice content will be provided once a week along with encouragement messages. Monthly non-face-to-face expert consultations will also be offered.

After evaluating the outcomes, self-help groups such as small gatherings will be formed for continuous participant management, and health management will be continuously monitored in connection with health centers and lifelong health management centers by region.

Since July, the district has been monitoring seniors' health via video calls during heatwave periods. Visiting nurses in each neighborhood target high-risk seniors such as those living alone, with mobility difficulties, or chronic diseases, using video to check complexion and other signs that cannot be confirmed by simple voice calls.

Because the district office, as the caller, covers the call charges, seniors can freely communicate with visiting nurses without worrying about fees.

Plans include additionally providing various video and image educational materials such as dementia prevention exercises, muscle strengthening exercises, and chronic disease management methods that can be easily followed indoors. These will be used as basic data for the remote health service project utilizing information and communication technology.

Currently, Nowon-gu has nursing public officials assigned to all 19 neighborhood community centers, facilitating the promotion of the remote health management project.

Also, besides the district health center, there are three health branch offices and five lifelong health management centers arranged by region, establishing an excellent public health care service system.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Due to COVID-19, it is inevitable that senior health management services shift from face-to-face to non-face-to-face. We will do our best to create a healthy welfare city through various methods using video calls and ICT devices.”

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