A "Warm Nagging" Prescription for the Lonely and Sick Residents of Jung-gu

Visiting Senior Health Companion Project for Residents in Need of Care Such as Patients with Multiple Chronic Diseases, Elderly Living Alone, and Elderly Couples

A team of doctors, nurses, dental hygienists, nutritionists, and social workers conducts home visits and consultations over two months

Carefully managing health, eating habits, welfare counseling, and pre- and post-hospital care, resulting in increased satisfaction

Mr. Lee, suffering from diabetes, liver cirrhosis, hyperlipidemia, cataracts, and severe obesity, also requires a liver transplant. He is too ill to work and has no family.

Jung-gu, Seoul, is implementing the ‘Senior Health Companion Project’ to visit residents in such desperate situations and care for their health like family.

For residents in need of care such as patients with multiple chronic diseases, elderly living alone, and elderly couples, a team of five healthcare professionals?doctor, nurse, dental hygienist, nutritionist, and social worker?visits their homes to provide health care services over two months.

The final consultation for Mr. Lee was held on the 2nd. The medical staff gave warm “nagging” until the end, teaching the participant how to take care of his health independently.

“Roasted sweet potatoes have a high sugar content. Please make sure to steam them.”

The nutritionist said this while looking around the snacks in the house. She reviewed Mr. Lee’s weight changes over the past four months and emphasized reducing carbohydrate intake such as salt bread and puffed rice snacks that he usually enjoys.

The dental hygienist looked inside his mouth with a mirror and explained which teeth should be treated first at the dentist and the extent of insurance coverage. She also earnestly reminded him that quitting smoking is absolutely necessary after tooth extraction.

“When did you paint that picture?”

The social worker, who has been checking on the participant for a year, noticed a new painting hanging on the wall. The participant said, “I painted it recently at the welfare center, but painting was not an easy task.” The social worker encouraged him to continue actively participating in programs and also wrote down the instructions for using the disabled call taxi once again.

Kim Gil-seong, Mayor of Jung-gu

“Is today really the last day?”

The participant expressed regret when told that the medical staff would no longer visit. When the social worker asked, “We visited often and may have been a bother; was it okay?” he replied, “It was a great help to be informed in detail about what I need to prepare before the liver transplant.”

The nurse added, “Today is not the end. We will call you often to check in,” and encouraged, “You should walk regularly.”

Last year, Jung-gu managed a total of 90 participants and provided 4,819 services. This year, they plan to identify and care for more than 100 participants.

With customized integrated support for health, medical care, and welfare, participant satisfaction is high. If mental health counseling and rehabilitation exercise are needed, connections to relevant institutions are also provided. Applications can be made at the local community service center in the resident’s district.

Social worker Ryu Chung-ryeol, who conducted the consultations, said, “Just having someone visit and be a companion can heal the body and mind of elderly living alone.”

Kim Gil-seong, Mayor of Jung-gu, stated, “We want to soothe the sorrow of those who are ill and have no one to care for them. Jung-gu will actively support seniors to live healthy old ages with warm and professional ‘nagging.’”

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