One day in November last year, boxes of interior materials were neatly stacked in front of the home of Yoon Sugun (83) in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Two workers skillfully laid mats throughout the living room and installed handrails in various parts of the house.

Kwon Kyunghyuk, CEO of Happy Aging, who was in charge of construction, said, "Even this much greatly reduces the chances of elderly people falling at home," adding, "Even if they do fall, the mat absorbs impact well, so there is no risk of injury."

Yoon's wife, Bang Hyeon (81), said, "I'm especially glad the bathroom was renovated." She used to watch over her husband every time he went to the bathroom at night. "There was nothing for him to hold onto in the bathroom, so I was always worried he might fall forward. Now that there's a handrail by the toilet, he can go by himself. I think I can finally sleep peacefully." They also installed a safety bar next to the bed in the master bedroom. A remote control for the lights was hung so that they can be turned on and off at the push of a button while lying down.

Just two years ago, Mr. Yoon was healthy enough to ride his bicycle around the neighborhood. He moved in right after the apartment was completed 21 years ago and has lived there ever since. He was so involved in the community that he even served as the head of the apartment seniors' association. "You know 'Ttareungi,' the city rental bicycle? I was in charge of organizing and disinfecting those. I was coming home from that job when I fell and broke my hip. That's when I started needing a cane."

Mr. Yoon was classified as eligible for long-term care. Not long ago, he almost slipped badly in the living room, but a care worker helped him avoid a serious accident. His wife, who was nearby, was barely able to calm her pounding heart. "After that happened, the care worker told us that the government has a program to renovate homes for seniors with long-term care grades. They provide 1 million KRW in support, so we applied for it. That's how we got the renovations done this time."

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The official name of this program is the "Pilot Project for Creating Safe Environments for Seniors at Home." It is run by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Health Insurance Service. In 2023 (the first year), 280 people applied, and last year (the second year), 540 people applied. If you install items like floor mats and safety handrails in your living room, bedroom, or bathroom, you receive a subsidy of 1 million KRW.

Kwon, the CEO, has been running Happy Aging, a social enterprise specializing in fall prevention for the elderly, for 10 years. He said, "Most seniors try to limit repairs to the 1 million KRW support, but that amount isn't even enough to cover half the living room with mats," adding, "In many cases, it only covers replacing a broken bathroom faucet or light fixture." One million KRW is far from enough to make a senior's home truly safe. In Mr. Yoon's case, his children stepped in. The total cost to renovate their 84m² apartment was 2.45 million KRW. After subtracting the 1 million KRW subsidy, the rest was covered by his son and daughter.

Yoon's youngest son, Yoon Hyunjun, who happened to be visiting, added, "There must be many people like my parents who need home renovations, but it's hard for seniors in poor health to find and contract with interior companies themselves. For households with means, the government could just provide a small subsidy and suggest that they cover the rest themselves, while also connecting them with interior companies. That alone would be a huge help."

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