Haenam-gun Dementia Safety Center, Free Distribution of Safety Return Bracelets for Seniors

Published 13 Oct.2021 09:52(KST)

Senior Safety Bracelet ⓒ Asia Economy

[Haenam＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Jeonnam Haenam-gun (Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan) is distributing ‘Safe Return Bracelets’ free of charge to prevent elderly disappearances.

According to the county on the 13th, the Safe Return Bracelet allows registration of emergency contact information for the elderly via a QR code on the bracelet. When the QR code is scanned with a mobile phone, the contact information can be found. If an elderly person gets lost while outside, anyone nearby can scan the QR code with their phone to easily provide help.

The county has initially secured 300 bracelets and is distributing them to elderly individuals who want them, with plans to expand the program based on its effectiveness.

As of the end of September, the proportion of the population aged 65 and older in Haenam-gun is 33.4%, and the Haenam-gun Dementia Safety Center has registered and is managing 2,124 elderly individuals.

Due to reduced outdoor activities caused by COVID-19, there has been an increase in dementia patients and those with mild cognitive impairment, a pre-stage of dementia, so the county is providing various support measures to prevent disappearances when elderly people go out.

Accordingly, the Haenam-gun Dementia Safety Center is distributing wandering identification tags that can be attached to clothing and is promoting a fingerprint registration project for dementia patients in cooperation with the police station, enabling lost elderly individuals to return to their families quickly.

Haenam-gun is actively promoting early dementia screening projects to detect and treat dementia patients early. Assistance is available by visiting the county health center’s Dementia Safety Center or calling the dementia consultation call center.