Seongdong-gu to Check on Elderly in Integrated Care Through Milk Delivery

Strengthening Cooperation Beyond Partnership Through Business Agreement
Expanding Support to Include Elderly in Integrated Care

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jung Wonoh), announced on July 29 that it has signed a business agreement with the corporation "Milk Delivery for Checking on the Elderly" on July 25, marking the 23rd anniversary of the "Elderly Milk Delivery Project." The district stated that it will strengthen support for elderly recipients of integrated care services.

This agreement was promoted to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the "Milk Delivery for Checking on the Elderly" project, which began in Seongdong-gu and has since spread nationwide. The aim is to reaffirm the significance of the project and to build a more robust care safety net through joint efforts between the public and private sectors.

Scene from the "Senior Milk Delivery Check-up Project" agreement ceremony. Jung Wono, Mayor of Seongdong District (left), and Ho Yonghan, Chairman of the Senior Milk Delivery Association. Provided by Seongdong District.

The "Milk Delivery for Checking on the Elderly" project was first launched in 2003 at Oksu Central Church in Geumho-dong, Seongdong-gu, for local elderly people living alone. At that time, Pastor Ho Yonghan noticed that some elderly people who attended early morning prayers were absent for several days. He proposed the idea of delivering milk to the homes of elderly people living alone, reasoning that if milk accumulated at their doors, the delivery person could quickly report it, thus checking on their well-being.

The project has now expanded to 69 local governments nationwide. With support from private companies and citizens, it delivers milk and warm attention to more than 6,000 elderly people across the country.

Currently, about 130 elderly people in Seongdong-gu receive milk through the program. However, with this new agreement, the district will expand support to include elderly people in need of integrated care within the community. Companies such as Maeil Dairies and Woowa Brothers are participating as sponsors. Maeil Dairies, in particular, provides "Easily Digestible Milk" for seniors with weakened digestive systems and donates 1% of its sales.

In addition, the district office and the corporation "Milk Delivery for Checking on the Elderly" have agreed to establish an organic cooperation system. Their goal is to expand this as a model of exemplary public-private partnership by linking the local government's elderly care policies with the milk delivery program.

Elderly people selected as recipients will receive milk three times a week (a total of seven bottles per week) on a regular basis, and their well-being will be checked during the delivery process. If milk is not collected for a certain period, the delivery person will immediately report it to the district office, enabling a prompt response to emergencies. This is expected to significantly strengthen the local care safety net.

Starting with this agreement, the district plans to expand comprehensive care services for elderly people eligible for integrated care. This includes preventing solitary deaths among the elderly, providing nutritional support, and promoting emotional interaction.

Jung Wonoh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, "We will reduce care blind spots caused by social isolation and support a safe and healthy old age together with the local community." He added, "We will continue to strengthen the care community through various public-private partnership models."

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