Gwanak-gu Launches Full Operation of 10 Smart Senior Centers

Gwanak-gu, supports health management and digital gap reduction through smart healthcare, video leisure culture programs, and kiosk experiences

Parents’ health status can be managed remotely via the smart healthcare app

"It's convenient and reassuring that just by coming to the senior center and showing my face, my blood pressure and heart rate are automatically measured.", "It's fun and enjoyable to exercise and learn songs together."

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Junhee) has successfully completed a three-month pilot project by establishing smart senior centers in 10 local senior centers and began full-scale operation in May.

The district was selected for the 2022-2023 Seoul Living Field Smart City Pilot Project and received a total of 1 billion KRW in funding to build smart senior centers offering three services using the latest information and communication technology (ICT): ▲smart healthcare ▲video platform-based leisure welfare programs ▲kiosk experience.

In particular, the ‘smart healthcare’ service, introduced for the first time among Seoul’s autonomous districts, is a personalized health management service that automatically measures and stores data such as body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate through facial scanning, and provides abnormal measurement text alerts.

Based on the measured data, a coaching center operates to provide one-on-one health consultations, effectively serving as a primary care physician for the elderly.

The smart healthcare app also offers non-face-to-face care services such as medication reminders, customized exercise suggestions through artificial intelligence (AI) body shape analysis, and monitoring the health status of parents by children using a guardian app.

Additionally, leisure welfare programs such as singing classes and metdol gymnastics are conducted using the ‘video platform.’ One instructor can simultaneously conduct sessions for 10 smart senior centers, enabling a wider variety of programs to be offered to more senior centers.

The ‘Elderly Hypertension Health Lecture’ based on health data collected through smart healthcare was conducted in an interactive format where seniors freely asked and answered questions about disease-related lifestyle habits, receiving great positive feedback from the elderly participants.

The ‘kiosk experience’ to reduce the digital gap is also popular. Seniors can repeatedly practice fingerprint recognition, card payment, and receipt printing on kiosks identical to those used in hospitals and cafes to ensure no inconvenience in daily life.

Five digital guides are assigned to the smart senior centers to assist the elderly in using the devices, and demand-tailored programs will continue to be developed by understanding the needs of the elderly service users.

On the 24th, a demonstration of the smart senior center was held at Boramae Senior Center. The seniors gathered participated in metdol gymnastics classes using the video platform and underwent health measurements and consultations through smart healthcare.

Mayor Park Junhee, who attended the demonstration, held an online meeting simultaneously with seniors from the 10 smart senior centers to exchange greetings and listen to their suggestions. He also personally participated in the smart healthcare demonstration and device experience to carefully review the service details.

Mayor Park Junhee said, “We will continue to expand smart senior centers annually and support elderly welfare by linking various programs. We will do our best to make them happy resting places that make seniors’ lives more vibrant and convenient.”

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