Low-Sodium Meal Delivery and Blanket Laundry... Jongno-gu's '11 Specialized Care Services' Attract Attention

Providing a total of 11 services including 'Nutrition Support', 'Hygiene Support', and 'Laundry Support'... Care SOS Centers to be expanded to all 17 Dong Community Centers starting July this year

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jongno-gu (District Mayor Kim Young-jong) is operating the 'Care SOS Center' project, which provides customized services by visiting residents directly to eliminate blind spots in community care.

This initiative responds to the weakening of family care functions due to population aging and the increase of single-person households, as well as the rising demand for emergency care caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Since its launch in August last year, the Care SOS Center has been offering various services such as household activity support, hospital accompaniment, and meal assistance to elderly people, disabled individuals, and middle-aged residents over 50 who need care due to sudden illness, accidents, or absence of caregivers.

Applications can be made through the local community service centers in the resident’s area. If the service recipient is a resident of Jongno-gu, family members or acquaintances can also apply on their behalf.

Recipients of basic livelihood security, near-poverty groups, and those with a median income of 85% or less (temporarily 100% or less until June 30, 2021) can use the services free of charge up to an annual amount of 1.58 million KRW per person. Other residents can use the services by paying a personal fee.

Currently, Jongno-gu provides a total of 11 specialized services including ▲nutritional support ▲hygiene support ▲laundry support ▲temporary home care ▲short-term facility stay ▲meal support ▲accompaniment support ▲housing convenience ▲welfare checks ▲health support ▲information counseling.

Jongno-gu’s unique specialized service, ‘nutritional support,’ offers warm healthy porridge or low-sodium meals to discharged patients or residents requiring customized diets. This service caters to residents with conditions such as diabetes or hypertension, or those with poor dental health. When the recipient is absent, a cooling bag is placed at the doorstep to prevent food spoilage, delivering porridge and side dishes made from fresh seasonal ingredients safely, which has received positive feedback for its meticulous care.

Next, ‘hygiene support’ is a total service that completely transforms the surrounding environment through waste disposal, pest extermination, disinfection, and quarantine. This service is especially useful in times like now when hygiene has become crucial due to COVID-19. The ‘laundry support’ service, operated in cooperation with the Jongno-gu Self-Support Center, collects, washes, and delivers bedding and other items.

Other services include ‘temporary home care,’ which provides direct caregiving through home visits; ‘short-term facility stay,’ which supports facility admission during emergency care periods; ‘meal support,’ which delivers lunchboxes during the recipient’s health recovery period; and ‘accompaniment support,’ which assists residents who have difficulty going out alone by accompanying them to hospitals, government offices, and banks.

Additionally, ‘housing convenience’ improves the home environment through simple repairs such as light bulb replacement; ‘health support’ is provided in connection with the public health center’s home health care project for those requiring continuous health management; ‘welfare checks’ are operated in cooperation with the Jongno Senior Welfare Center; and information counseling services are offered by care managers, providing a wide range of care services tailored to residents’ needs.

Starting this July, the Care SOS Center will be expanded to all 17 community service centers across the district to promptly provide customized services to all residents in need of emergency care.

This shift from a district-centered approach to operating centers at the community level aims to establish organic relationships for rapid identification of recipients, field visits, service linkage, monitoring, and follow-up management.

Furthermore, exceptions will be expanded to allow support based not only on age and income criteria but also considering the urgency and severity of the recipient’s condition.

District Mayor Kim Young-jong stated, “While the demand for care is increasing due to aging and changes in family structure, family care functions are weakening. Through the installation of the Care SOS Centers in community service centers and the expansion of services starting this July, we will strive to respond to the increasingly diverse and complex needs of residents and create a Jongno without welfare blind spots.”

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