Seodaemun-gu Prevents Unnecessary Hospitalization and Facility Admission of Elderly

Published 28 Jul.2023 15:13(KST)

Promoting the 'Senior Health Companion Project' to enable healthy living in the community

The number of participating medical institutions in the district increased from 11 to 19

The project target expanded to 'all individuals requiring health management as determined by a physician'

Seoul City, Seodaemun-gu Medical Association, participating medical institutions, and public health center officials seek activation measures

Seodaemun-gu Prevents Unnecessary Hospitalization and Facility Admission of Elderly

Seodaemun-gu (District Mayor Lee Seongheon) announced on the 28th that it has recently signed additional business agreements with eight primary medical institutions in the area to revitalize the 'Senior Health Companion Project.'

As a result, the number of participating medical institutions increased from the previous 11 to 19.

Furthermore, the district expanded the project target from 'single elderly individuals aged 65 or older with two or more chronic diseases or elderly couples' to 'all individuals requiring health management as determined by a physician,' regardless of disease, age, or household type.

The district started this project in March of this year, with primary medical institutions and the public health center cooperating to help seniors live healthily in the community.

When seniors needing health management are referred from neighborhood medical institutions to the public health center, the Health Companion Team?composed of doctors, nurses, social workers, and nutritionists?visits the household and provides customized services for two months.

To promote the project, Seodaemun-gu recently held a meeting in the 8th-floor conference room of the public health center, attended by the Director of the Seoul City Citizen Health Bureau, the Director of Health and Medical Policy, the Seodaemun-gu Medical Association, participating medical institutions, and public health center officials.

At this meeting, the Seodaemun-gu Medical Association and participating medical institutions agreed to actively cooperate in discovering eligible participants and revitalizing the project, while Seoul City committed to improving the referral system and securing the budget necessary for project implementation.

Park Seonjeong, Director of Seodaemun-gu Public Health Center, stated, “Through the Health Companion Project, we will prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and institutionalizations of seniors and support them to live healthily in the community.”