Gwangju Seo-gu Receives Praise for Seamless 'Integrated Care Service'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Seo Daeseok) is receiving favorable reviews for its seamless integrated care services provided to elderly people who have lost contact with even their families due to COVID-19.

According to Seo-gu on the 17th, multi-use facilities such as senior welfare centers and senior citizen centers have been closed since last year due to the spread of COVID-19.

As a result, not only meal distribution but also the elderly's daily conversations and basic social activities have been restricted.

In particular, during this Lunar New Year, due to the ban on gatherings of five or more people, many elderly people could not even see their families. Seo-gu accelerated efforts to fill the care gap by providing visiting helpers and nutritional meals.

Shin Mo (87), who lives in Ssangchon-dong, lives alone without contact from children, relatives, or even neighbors despite having scoliosis, myocardial infarction, and obsessive-compulsive dementia.

The district provided Shin with visiting helper services to assist with daily living, and it is now known that they have become like family, to the extent that Shin has entrusted the caregiver with his final funeral arrangements.

Lee Mo (78), living in Nongsong-dong, is also in a state of partial lower body paralysis due to a stroke, making movement difficult. He was in a serious state of nutritional deficiency, surviving only on bread and milk.

The district provided nutritional intervention and nutritional meals, and Lee has regained strength; currently, his condition has improved enough to use the restroom and eat independently.

In addition, Seo-gu solves daily inconveniences immediately by dispatching services such as fluorescent light replacement, home appliance repair, and hospital accompaniment through its 24-hour safe dispatch service. This carefully fills the care gap on behalf of families who find it difficult to visit.

Seo Daeseok, Mayor of Seo-gu, said, “Elderly care is the future that will come to me, my family, and all of us, so Seo-gu will take the lead in promoting integrated care projects first.” He added, “We will do our best to ensure that the elderly can spend their later years healthily in the local community.”

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