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To Establish a Continuous Care System for Single-Person Vulnerable Households, 'Gyeongnam Ansim Service' App Source Received and Independently Modified...Automatic Contact to Guardians When No Long Phone Use Detected...Available to All Residents

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] The issue of isolated deaths (lonely deaths) is growing due to the rapid increase in single-person households.

According to research by the Seoul Welfare Foundation, last year, administrative data from the city showed that the number of confirmed isolated deaths (people living alone who died at home and were discovered after more than three days) reached 52 cases. Attention and support for vulnerable groups such as elderly people living alone are urgently needed.

Yongsan-gu (District Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) has developed and distributed the ‘Yongsan Smart Care’ mobile application (app).

This is to establish a continuous care system for elderly people living alone and single-person disabled households.

In the app, users can register the phone numbers of guardians (protectors) such as relatives, friends, or social workers in charge. If there is no phone usage for a set period (24 to 72 hours), a text message is sent to the guardians to notify them. Multiple guardian numbers can be registered.

The text message includes the sender’s name and address, any chronic illnesses they usually suffer from, and a phrase such as ‘No phone usage for 00 hours.’ This allows guardians to immediately recognize the risk.

The app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. It is free for all residents, and social workers at the local community centers will directly assist in installing the app for 300 high-risk individuals.

Last year, the district received the source code for the ‘Gyeongnam Safety Service’ app free of charge from Hapcheon County, Gyeongnam Province. Since then, the code has been modified to fit local conditions, and the app has been piloted (with error corrections and security reviews). The official version was registered on the Google Play Store this month.

In addition to the Smart Care app, the district plans to monitor the safety of vulnerable single-person households through various methods such as telephone check-ins, visit monitoring, operating neighborhood care teams, and installing IoT-based smart plugs.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “By simply installing the app and entering information, dangerous situations can be detected in advance. Over 1,300 public officials will do their best for the safety of residents.”

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