Nowon-gu Achieves 'Triple Crown' in Dementia Management Projects Despite COVID-19 Situation

Daily Living Activity Training 'Home Run'...Minister of Health and Welfare Commendation and Central Dementia Center Competition Excellence Award...Medication Monitoring Alarm 'Smart Medi Box' Selected as an Excellent Project by Seoul Metropolitan Dementia Center

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that despite the COVID-19 situation, it has achieved excellent results through strict compliance with quarantine rules and active dementia management projects.

This year, the district was selected for the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Excellent Institution Award, the Excellence Award at the Best Practice Competition, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Excellent Project.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare conducts the annual ‘Dementia Overcoming Day Awards’ to encourage contributors and institutions that have contributed to overcoming dementia and to spread social consensus on dementia.

Also, the Central Dementia Center under the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Metropolitan Dementia Center under the Seoul Metropolitan Government hold an annual Best Practice Competition to improve the performance of dementia management projects and to disseminate excellent cases.

The district received the Minister of Health and Welfare’s Commendation and the Central Dementia Center Excellence Award for its daily living activity training program ‘HOME LEARN.’ ‘HOME LEARN’ is a program operated to help elderly people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment prevent falls and maintain independent daily living. To this end, in 2019, the district established ‘Heerakdang,’ a daily living training center with a home-like environment equipped with a bedroom, bathroom, and home appliances inside the district office, the first of its kind nationwide.

Through the program, elderly participants receive education on various topics such as basic daily activities like meal preparation, clothing management, and restroom use, as well as using public offices, preparing meals, and leisure activities.

In addition, regular education is provided for family members and community care workers to address potential issues that may arise at home or institutions.

The ‘Smart MediBox’ project, selected as an excellent project by the Seoul Metropolitan Dementia Center, is a medication management monitoring project utilizing ICT technology. The MediBox, which helps elderly people take their medication regularly, sets alarms and notifies the individual, caregiver, and assigned nurse in real time if medication is missed.

It is also set to remain locked for a certain period after opening, effectively preventing common cases of double dosing.

Meanwhile, the Nowon-gu Dementia Safety Center is minimizing care gaps for elderly dementia patients caused by COVID-19 by distributing cognitive health kits (occupational therapy booklets, videos, cognitive enhancement tools), providing case management via phone, and operating educational programs through a YouTube channel, offering various non-face-to-face programs.

It also provides various services such as free early dementia screening for seniors aged 60 and over and operating the Memory Boost School for elderly diagnosed with mild dementia.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “We plan to expand dementia prevention and mild dementia management programs in the future,” adding, “Especially as non-face-to-face care is expanding due to COVID-19, we plan to implement various dementia projects incorporating future technologies.”

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