Two Months Since Launching Yangcheon-gu Care SOS Center... Becoming a Reliable Neighbor to Residents

Resolving Crises with 176 Customized Services Including Housing Environment Improvement and Lunchbox Delivery, Establishing as a Reliable Neighbor for Residents

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] “Is there someone who can watch over me for a moment? Is there anyone nearby I can comfortably ask for help?” To address the concerns of residents pondering these questions, Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) has been operating the Care SOS Center project since August, dedicating efforts to resolving crisis situations in many households and eliminating care gaps for residents.

The Care SOS Center project is a public care service window where care managers, who are dedicated public officials, visit elderly, disabled, and middle-aged households (aged 50 and above) facing sudden temporary crises without family members to care for them, and connect them with customized services.

The project consists of six major services: temporary home care, short-term facility care, accompaniment support, residential convenience, meal support, and information counseling. Service costs are fully covered for low-income groups including recipients and near-poverty classes up to 85% of the median income, while other residents can use the services with self-payment.

The district explained that two months after the project’s implementation, it has steadily resolved the long-standing care gap issues and is establishing a stable care system. So far, 176 care services such as meal support, temporary home care, and residential convenience have been connected to over 120 people.

Mr. Kim, an elderly resident of Sinwol 7-dong, was so weak and frail that he could barely put on a mask by himself and spent most of his time bedridden, living alone in hardship after being estranged from his family. His home was on the ground floor and had severe mold and odors throughout due to prolonged monsoon rains. Especially, the mattress had never been replaced and was very worn and unsanitary, which seemed to worsen his health condition.

A welfare planner in Sinwol 7-dong discovered Mr. Kim while identifying welfare blind spots and requested help from Yangcheon-gu’s Care SOS Center project, which started in August, emphasizing the urgent need to improve his residential environment.

The district’s care manager immediately visited the site, assessed Mr. Kim’s situation, and provided customized care services to the elderly household experiencing a serious care crisis. First, the most urgent residential cleaning and convenience services were provided, and the mattress and bedding were replaced.

Additionally, assistance was given to help Mr. Kim apply for a long-term care grade, and until the grade was determined, temporary home care services three times a week and meal support services with lunchbox delivery twice a week were also provided to support his daily life.

When the care manager revisited Mr. Kim’s home after providing residential convenience services, Mr. Kim expressed his gratitude repeatedly, saying, “My energy seems to have improved as the home environment got better.”

Mrs. Park, an elderly resident of Sinjeong 4-dong, used to receive lunchboxes daily from a welfare center, but due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the lunchbox support was suspended, making it difficult for her to manage meals alone. Through the Care SOS Center, she was able to receive meal support services, resolving her care gap. Mrs. Park expressed her gratitude, saying, “During these difficult times with COVID-19, there was nowhere to turn for help, but the care manager solved my difficulties.”

In this way, the Care SOS Center plays the role of a crisis resolver by meeting unmet welfare needs for those who had care demands but were left in blind spots of existing policies and social disasters like COVID-19.

Kim Soo-young, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, “Through the Care SOS Center launched in August, residents in urgent need of care can receive services regardless of being over 65 or disabled. Especially as COVID-19 prolongs and residents find it difficult to go out, we will lead efforts to discover and support more targeted individuals and cultivate universal care welfare.”

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