Dongjak-gu, Nationwide First City Gas Meter Reader Checking on Dementia Patients' Well-being

On the 20th, Seoul City Gas and 'Dementia CHECK, Gas CHECK' Signed a Business Agreement... Addressing Welfare Blind Spots

Dongjak-gu (Mayor Park Il-ha) announced that on the 20th, it signed a nationwide first-of-its-kind business agreement with Seoul City Gas for the ‘Dementia CHECK, Gas CHECK’ initiative to improve awareness of dementia and strengthen active care networks.

The ‘Dementia CHECK, Gas CHECK’ project aims to early detect dementia patients and eliminate welfare blind spots by linking with meter readers who visit households in the area for gas inspections.

Through this agreement, the two organizations plan to mutually cooperate on ▲ conducting dementia safety and gas safety campaigns ▲ providing meter readers with education to improve correct dementia awareness and expertise ▲ connecting centers for elderly living alone or couples with dementia to support those exposed to dementia risks.

The project will run from April to December this year, during which monthly, city gas meter readers will carry out their regular duties while also engaging in activities such as identifying dementia patients and monitoring their conditions.

In this regard, the district plans to provide ‘Understanding Dementia’ and ‘Memory Friends (Dementia Partners)’ training to about 100 Seoul City Gas meter readers in April to enhance their understanding of dementia and cultivate ‘Memory Friends’ who assist elderly dementia patients.

Through the ‘Understanding Dementia’ training, meter readers will develop a correct perception of dementia and learn how to handle the mental and behavioral symptoms of dementia patients.

In particular, Memory Friends (Dementia Partners) will check on the well-being of elderly individuals at risk of dementia blind spots during each gas meter reading visit and, if signs of dementia are detected, will connect them to services at the Dementia Safety Center.

Additionally, promotional activities will be conducted to encourage early dementia screening and provide information on Dementia Safety Center reservations through tools such as the city gas app’s mild cognitive impairment self-check and advertisements on meter reading vehicles.

The Dongjak-gu Dementia Safety Center operates dementia screening, counseling, and programs by reservation, and for further details, inquiries can be made directly to the Dongjak-gu Dementia Safety Center.

Mayor Park Il-ha stated, “To create an environment where dementia patients are protected within the social safety net, we have partnered with Seoul City Gas to implement the nation’s first ‘Dementia CHECK, Gas CHECK’ project,” adding, “We will continue to develop various policies to eliminate welfare blind spots.”

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