Filling the Elderly Care Gap Caused by COVID-19 with ICT Services

LG Uplus Collaborates with Incheon Namdong-gu Health Center and Gachon University
to Conduct Non-Face-to-Face Service R&D Project

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] LG Uplus plans to introduce an ICT-based non-face-to-face care service within two years that attaches radar sensors to beds to connect to public health center emergency calls in case of fall accidents. They will also prepare measures to manage depression and loneliness indices of the elderly population through senior-specialized content such as games, audiobooks, and healing sounds.

LG Uplus announced on the 6th that by 2023, it will develop non-face-to-face social services using ICT for the elderly population residing in Namdong-gu, Incheon, in collaboration with the Namdong-gu Public Health Center and Gachon University.

This research and development (R&D) project, led by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, aims to develop an 'integrated care' service centered on local communities. It will provide non-face-to-face senior visit care services and dementia (cognitive impairment) care centers targeting vulnerable groups that may experience care gaps after COVID-19.

Local governments have provided face-to-face care services by dividing groups such as chronic disease patients, those with cognitive impairment, and elderly living alone, but these were limited to visit or facility-based care methods. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 last year, it has become difficult to provide care services while adhering to quarantine rules. Some local governments offer non-face-to-face care services, but limitations in integrated management have been pointed out.

The social service being developed this time is an integrated care service for all elderly populations. LG Uplus will provide a healthcare platform in Namdong-gu, Incheon. In connection with the Namdong-gu Public Health Center, integrated services such as user monitoring and non-face-to-face intervention services through Internet of Things (IoT) devices will be provided in four areas: health, safety, and security; leisure and care; sleep and emotion; and dementia. The data collected during this process will also be used for developing new care content in the future. Gachon University will conduct content development through academic research.

Through this project, LG Uplus will secure a reference for digital healthcare services and platforms. They also plan to establish a B2G2C business foundation. In the first year, they will focus on service development; in the second year, pilot operation; and in the third year, verify the effectiveness of the business and expand the service target nationwide.

Son Ji-yoon, Executive Director of New Business Promotion at LG Uplus, said, "We will strive to provide better non-face-to-face services than existing face-to-face services to elderly people in need of care, while continuously developing and commercializing models that enable independent living."

Meanwhile, LG Uplus is collaborating with M3 Solution, a cognitive rehabilitation program specialist company, to develop dementia prevention and management solutions. They are also exploring digital healthcare businesses utilizing specialized services such as genome and gut microbiome testing in partnership with Theragen Bio.

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