Jeonnam Province Monitors Elderly Health Using Companion Robots

Distribution to 1,100 People by 2025

Jeonnam Province monitors the health of elderly people using companion robots.

On the 8th, the province announced that it will expand and distribute companion robots (plush dolls in the form of children) utilizing smart technology to socially isolated and emotionally vulnerable elderly living alone in 22 cities and counties.

Last year, it was selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT's Smart Village distribution and expansion public project.

Accordingly, over three years until 2025, a total of 3 billion KRW will be invested, including 2.4 billion KRW from the national government and 600 million KRW from the provincial government, to distribute and operate the robots for 1,100 elderly living alone.

These intelligent robots, linked with the local community care system, help alleviate depression, conduct non-face-to-face monitoring, manage daily health care, provide cognitive training programs for dementia patients, and offer companionship, thereby closely managing the elderly’s emotional and physical health.

The distribution targets are selected from elderly customized care service recipients who are socially withdrawn and depressed based on evaluations of disease and cognitive ability. A total of 1,100 units, 50 per city and county, will be distributed by the end of this year.

To this end, the province signed a consignment agreement with the Jeonnam Social Service Institute.

Additionally, through a contract selected by negotiation with the Public Procurement Service, pre-training on the use of companion robots will be provided to city and county officials, dedicated social workers, and life support workers via Hyodol Co., Ltd.

Lee Sang-sim, Director of Health and Welfare Bureau of Jeonnam Province, said, “We hope the companion robots become warm friends so that vulnerable elderly living alone do not feel lonely. We will do our best to secure national funding and ensure that companion robots are distributed to many elderly people in the future.”

Jeonnam Province is also operating a customized elderly care service that supports welfare checks such as visits for about 57,000 elderly people living alone in the province with a budget of 77.6 billion KRW this year.

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