Yeonggwang-gun to Operate Dementia Prevention Health Classes Until June

[Yeonggwang=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jeonseong] Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 26th that it will operate a Brain Youth Dementia Prevention Health Class once or twice a week until the end of June for seniors aged 60 and over to alleviate loneliness and depression caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

This program is being operated in five locations including the Public Health Center Dementia Safety Center, Gunam Branch, Senior Citizens' Centers, and Health Clinics, and is composed of various activities for brain health and overall health promotion such as coloring and puzzle matching for cognitive enhancement training, horticultural therapy and craft activities for strengthening small muscles, and dementia prevention exercises to stimulate brain activity.

All participants undergo rapid antigen tests for COVID-19, dementia screening tests, elderly depression tests, and memory decline assessments before and after the program, and if any abnormalities are found, they are linked to expert consultations.

The Dementia Safety Center at Yeonggwang-gun Public Health Center supports early dementia screening, dementia prevention classes, patient and family support projects, dementia overcoming and awareness improvement projects, and care supplies.

Since January this year, regardless of income, the center has been supporting dementia medication costs (up to 30,000 KRW per month) and detailed examination costs (up to 80,000 KRW per person) to reduce the caregiving burden on dementia patients and their families.

A public health center official said, “Dementia, the number one disease hardest on families, is a condition that can delay progression or improve symptoms if detected early and treated appropriately. It is important for residents aged 60 and over to receive a memory test once a year, so we urge them to take the dementia screening test.”

For more details, consultations are available anytime by contacting the Dementia Safety Center or the Dementia Counseling Call Center.

Yeonggwang=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jeonseong leejs7879@asiae.co.kr

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