Gwanak-gu Designates All 21 Districts as Nation's First "Dementia Relief Villages"

Establishing an Integrated Dementia Management System at the District Level

Gwanak-gu in Seoul (Mayor Park Junhee) has designated all 21 administrative districts within the area as “Dementia Relief Villages,” becoming the first in the nation to do so. As the number of dementia patients is expected to surpass 1 million this year, the proportion of residents aged 65 and older in the district has steadily increased, reaching 19.3% as of January this year.

An elderly participant at the Namhyun-dong Dementia Safety Noriter is responding to a memory assessment survey. Provided by Gwanak District.

The Dementia Relief Village initiative aims to establish a community-based safety net so that dementia patients and their families can lead secure daily lives. Beginning with Boramae-dong and Euncheon-dong in 2018, the district completed the designation of Seowon-dong, Sinwon-dong, Namhyeon-dong, and Nanhyang-dong earlier this year. As a result, all 21 districts now have a “dong-level integrated dementia management system” that covers everything from dementia prevention and early screening to treatment linkage and raising awareness.

This year, the district will operate the “Dementia Relief Noriter” program eight times in the four newly designated districts. The program features integrated physical and cognitive activities with new games each week to promote dementia prevention. It also offers ongoing free dementia screenings, ICT experience programs, health management activities such as oral exams, blood pressure and blood sugar measurements, and CPR practice. Participation is free and open to all without prior registration, from 2 PM to 4 PM.

In Namhyeon-dong, the program is held every Tuesday at Yecheon Children’s Park starting March 10. In Seowon-dong and Sinwon-dong, it takes place every Wednesday at the Byeolbitnaerincheon waterfront stage, beginning March 18. In Nanhyang-dong, it will be held every Tuesday and Wednesday at the parking lot of Gwanaksan Humansia Complex 3, Building 302, starting May 12.

The district has focused on establishing resident-led Dementia Relief Villages, expanding dementia-friendly stores, and conducting “Memory Friend” educational programs. Last year, Gwanak-gu received six awards, including the Grand Prize in the Health Innovation category at the Korea Local Government Innovation Awards and the Grand Prize at the Seoul Metropolitan Dementia Center Best Practices Competition. In 2023, the Dementia Relief Noriter was ranked number one nationwide as an exemplary case by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Mayor Park Junhee of Gwanak-gu stated, “With dementia emerging as a major social issue, an integrated, community-centered support system is essential. We will continue to expand a dementia-friendly environment where neighbors care for and look out for one another, with residents at the center.”

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