[Report] Seniors in Their 90s Enjoy Yutnori on Smart Tables...A Look Inside the Caring Daycare Center

Senior Care Startup Caring Operates 28 Daycare Centers Nationwide

Digital Devices, Not Barriers but Convenient Tools

"I think doing these activities in the morning is good for the brain. It's not difficult to use, so I thought I could do it well enough."

On May 19, at the Caring Daycare Center located in Giheung-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, 88-year-old Kim Sunja said that she enjoys the time she spends sitting in front of the smart table. This table-shaped digital device equipped with a touchscreen contains more than 30 different programs, ranging from simple games to kiosk usage training. Manipulating the touchscreen skillfully, Kim said, "Today, I played Go-Stop and Yutnori, and I was very satisfied."

Elderly people are using the smart table program at the Caring Daycare Center in Yongin. Caring

The daycare center operated by senior care startup Caring is notable for actively utilizing smart devices in its cognitive rehabilitation programs. Caring believes that the process of encountering and using these devices—which elderly people may have previously seen as a barrier—can provide them with new vitality. Caring operates 28 such daycare centers nationwide. The Yongin center, the largest in the Seoul metropolitan area, covers about 1,000 square meters and currently serves 92 elderly people. The age range is from those in their 60s to those in their 90s.

The elderly residents, gathered around the five smart tables installed at the Yongin center in small groups, used a variety of programs. Some enjoyed familiar games like Yutnori and Go-Stop with their peers, while others tried learning unfamiliar sports such as curling. Some launched drawing programs and created their own colorful works of art. According to the staff, the most popular program is "Whack-a-Mole."

A program is being selected on a touch board installed on the wall of the Caring Daycare Center in Yongin. Caring

A white touch board is installed on the wall next to the smart tables. While the smart table is a device used while sitting, this large touch board encourages people to move their bodies while looking at the screen. When one elderly person stood in front of the board, a motion-sensing camera displayed a video on the screen. The person followed the suggested movements while watching their own image on the screen in time with the music. By following along with a song, cognitive rehabilitation and physical exercise take place simultaneously.

The Caring Daycare Center allows elderly people to independently choose and experience these digital device-based programs in small groups. To make this possible, the center employs 21 staff members, including social workers, care workers, and nursing assistants. Each staff member is responsible for 4.5 elderly people. Center Director Ha Jeonghwa said, "We are focusing more on the quality of life for the elderly through a systematic system," and added, "Since we value the elderly's right to make their own decisions, satisfaction levels are high."

With the increase of the elderly population, Caring is expanding its care service infrastructure nationwide. Founded in 2019, Caring started with sales of 2 billion won the following year, and last year posted consolidated sales of 165.8 billion won, marking rapid growth. Based on this, the company plans to move beyond smart device utilization and fully enter the care robot market to create the next-generation care environment. CEO Kim Taeseong said, "We will continue to advance care-specialized AI and robots so that we can proactively respond to super-aging and workforce shortages in the care sector."

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