A Society That Respects the Elderly ... Prioritizing Prevention of Elder Abuse

Gyeongbuk Province Establishes Comprehensive Measures for Elder Abuse Prevention

Gyeongbuk Provincial Government Office.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gui-yeol] Gyeongbuk Province analyzed 599 cases of elder abuse from last year and found that 583 cases (97.3%) occurred in homes, while 16 cases (2.7%) occurred in facilities.

Abusers were family members (sons, spouses, etc.) in 80% of cases, and the most common types of abuse were emotional abuse (52.4%) and physical abuse (32.4%).

In response, the province has prepared a comprehensive plan to prevent the increasing elder abuse each year.

Additionally, on the 13th, a ceremony was held in Yeongcheon to commemorate the 6th Elder Abuse Prevention Day.

The main points of this comprehensive elder abuse prevention plan include operating Elder Abuse Prevention Week (June 13?18) to intensively promote awareness among residents.

For the first time nationwide, 460 Elder Rights Protectors will be appointed to work closely with local seniors to promote elder abuse prevention and facilitate reporting.

To eradicate abuse occurring in elder care facilities, the province and city/counties will strictly enforce administrative measures and conduct supervision to actively prevent elder abuse.

A close cooperative system will be established among the Elder Protection Agency, provincial and city/county offices, police stations, and other related organizations to respond actively.

The ceremony, now in its 6th year, awarded individuals and organizations who contributed to protecting elder rights and preventing elder abuse (Ministerial Awards: 4 people, Governor Awards: 5 people, 3 organizations).

In addition, group training on elder abuse prevention was conducted for about 300 public officials from 23 cities/counties, police officers, and facility workers.

Park Seong-su, Director of Welfare and Health Bureau of Gyeongbuk Province, said, “Elder abuse is no longer just an individual problem but a social issue that requires all of our attention. The province will do its best to create a Gyeongbuk where seniors are respected by implementing a systematic comprehensive elder abuse prevention plan.”

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