A Total of 117.4 Billion Won Invested in 39 Projects... Seongdong-gu Establishes 2024 Senior Welfare Plan

39 Projects in 3 Areas for Seniors' Happy and Healthy Later Life with 117.4 Billion KRW Investment
Focus on Strengthening Elderly Care System Including Improving Working Conditions for Elderly Care Workers

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jeong Wono) announced that it has established the 2024 Comprehensive Senior Welfare Plan to ensure that elderly residents can fulfill their needs within the community and receive integrated care for housing and overall living, enabling them to enjoy a healthy old age.

The elderly population in Seongdong-gu has steadily increased each year, reaching approximately 50,000 as of December 2023. This represents a 39.5% increase compared to 10 years ago and accounts for 17.7% of the total population.

Accordingly, the district plans to implement various projects that meet the needs of seniors and provide practical support for a happy and healthy old age.

▲ Expansion of infrastructure and support to enhance accessibility to senior welfare ▲ Establishment of a stable old-age living guarantee system in preparation for an aging society ▲ Promotion of vibrant senior culture and expansion of social participation, with 39 projects across these three areas, investing a total budget of 117.4 billion KRW.

In particular, the plan solidly includes key projects such as welfare policies guaranteeing stable income for seniors, support for social participation activities, provision of living care services, preventive projects for active seniors (aged 65 to 74), who constitute the largest portion of the elderly population, and improvement of working conditions for senior care workers.

First, by improving aging senior facilities through relocation of old public senior centers, green remodeling of senior centers, and conversion to zero-energy buildings, seniors will be supported to enjoy leisure and cultural activities in a comfortable environment.

Additionally, by revitalizing the operation of regional senior welfare centers and the Seongdong 50 Plus Center, customized services tailored by age, region, and gender will be provided to enhance accessibility, stability, and convenience of senior welfare.

New projects will also be focused on, such as providing essential labor allowances to care workers working on the front lines of home care for seniors. This aims to boost the morale of care workers who provide direct care services, improve service quality, and realize a safe, low-cost society and community integration.

Furthermore, the operation of the Senior Wish Fulfillment Box, support for fall prevention safety products, and the Seongdong Senior Model project will be expanded. Senior job opportunities to promote social participation will increase by 294 from last year to a total of 2,175. The care hours for the focused care group in the senior customized care service will also increase from an average of 16 hours to 20 hours per month, further strengthening the senior care system.

Since last year, Seongdong-gu has been focusing on projects to support healthy community living for seniors. In particular, the fall prevention safety product support project, which provides safety handrails, remote controls for lights, and silver carts to 500 low-income senior households, has received especially positive responses from seniors who wish to age in place, meaning to spend their remaining years in their own homes or communities without moving away. This project will continue this year, expected not only to provide a foundation for seniors to enjoy a healthy old age in their familiar environment instead of hospitals or facilities but also to lay the groundwork for a robust local care system.

Jeong Wono, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, “We will strive to become a strong inclusive city where seniors in need of care and their families, care workers, and residents preparing for a healthy old age can all live healthily and happily in the community, supporting one another.”

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