Gwangju Seo-gu 'Hanmaeum Dementia Overcoming Walking Event' Held

Published 04 May.2023 11:20(KST)

Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kim Ikang) is actively carrying out projects to create a dementia-friendly socio-cultural environment and establish a dementia safety net system.

Seo-gu announced on the 4th that it held the ‘One Heart Dementia Overcoming Walking Event’ on the 3rd at Pungam Lake Park, attended by over 200 residents.

One Mind Dementia Overcoming Walking Event <br>[Photo by Seogu]

One Mind Dementia Overcoming Walking Event
[Photo by Seogu]

Recently, Seo-gu designated Pungam-dong, known as the ‘Healing Resting Place Healthy Village,’ as a dementia-safe village.

Pungam-dong, whose village BI (Brand Identity) is ‘Healing Resting Place Healthy Village,’ plans to focus on creating a dementia-friendly environment that all local residents can feel through outreach early dementia screening, dementia awareness improvement, and prevention education.

Seo-gu has recently taken the lead in improving dementia awareness through training dementia partners, designating dementia overcoming leading organizations and dementia-safe affiliated stores, holding dementia overcoming week events, and promoting via SNS.

There are about 4,500 dementia partners active in Seo-gu who serve as companions for dementia patients and their families. Anyone above elementary school age can become a dementia partner by completing essential education on proper understanding and prevention activities related to dementia.

Additionally, there are 60 dementia overcoming leading organizations and dementia-safe affiliated stores within Seo-gu, where all members of organizations or individual businesses complete dementia partner training and actively participate in dementia-related campaigns and promotional activities.

Kim Ikang, Mayor of Seo-gu, said, “Dementia, which can affect anyone, is not just the pain and misfortune of individuals and families but a public issue that the community must take responsibility for together. We will not spare any interest or support in creating a healthy community from dementia prevention to awareness improvement and overcoming dementia.”

He added, “One in ten people aged 65 or older in our country is a dementia patient, and as the number rapidly increases every year, dementia prevention management is emerging as a national issue rather than a personal problem. We will do our best to create a happy Seo-gu without dementia worries together with the residents.”