2024-07-04 14:30:42
Jincheon-gun is realizing ‘Aging in Jincheon’ with a welfare system that leaves no one behind. Jincheon-gun is realizing ‘Aging in Jincheon’ by building a welfare system that leaves no one behind and allowing people to live a healthy old age in their old home.
As of the end of 2023, the elderly population in Jincheon-gun was 15,933, accounting for approximately 18.5% of the total population of 86,254.
Although the proportion of the elderly population in local governments at the military level is low, considering the current increase in the elderly population, it is expected to soon exceed 20%, which is the standard for entering a super-aged society.
Accordingly, the military is expanding the welfare system to proactively prepare for a super-aging society, eliminating blind spots in welfare services and increasing the satisfaction of senior citizens in the region.
The most notable initiative is the integrated care program for the elderly.
This is a customized integrated support system that links various medical and care services within the region to enable the elderly to continue to reside in the community. It was selected as a local government for the pilot integrated community care project in 2019 and has been operated as a pilot project until 2022.
Through the integrated care project, the military provided a total of 8,930 integrated care services to approximately 7,000 senior citizens, creating an environment where local senior citizens can live healthy lives where they live.
Based on the achievements and experiences of these integrated care projects, the city was additionally selected as a local government for the pilot project for integrated support for elderly medical care and care in July 2023.
There are only seven local governments in the country that have been selected for two pilot projects in a row, and Jincheon County is the only one in the country at the county level.
As a result of establishing and efficiently operating a regional specialized welfare network, the county has set a milestone by being selected as an excellent local government in the integrated care service sector for four consecutive years since 2020.
In particular, in 2023, it demonstrated excellent welfare administrative capabilities by receiving the grand prize, the best in the nation, in the ‘Community Integrated Care’ field of the local welfare business evaluation hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Currently, inquiries from various organizations and groups are pouring in to share Jincheon County’s excellent integrated care system.
In the first half of this year alone, more than 10 organizations including central government agencies, local governments, research institutes, and social welfare organizations visited Jincheon.
In addition to the pilot project budget of 1.055 billion won this year, the county has allocated its own budget of 832 million won to promote 16 projects, including the following: △ ‘Our Neighborhood Care Station’, an integrated nursing center that visits you; △ ‘Base Care Center, Neighborhood Social Worker’, a village community care with resident participation; △ ‘Saenggeo-Jincheon Home Medical Center’ to strengthen local community medical accessibility; and △ ‘Saenggeo-Jincheon Care Farm’, a social agricultural care service.
The military is also actively utilizing local resources to strengthen the welfare system.
The goal is to strengthen public-private cooperative health and welfare services centered on towns and counties in order to support households in crisis who may be in blind spots of welfare.
To this end, 814 honorary social welfare workers commissioned by the military are checking welfare status in various regions, and have established a server for the Saenggeojincheon Welfare Confirmation Service System, a system to protect people at risk of dying alone, and have discovered and supported approximately 500 people to date.
In addition, the military is doing its best to operate a welfare system that considers even the smallest details, such as the 8th local government’s welfare policy projects for the elderly, including the following: snack cost support project, side dish support service for seniors over 60 years of age at risk of skipping meals, expansion of activity expenses for village senior citizens’ association officers, and improvement of treatment of senior care and living support workers.
In particular, in order to respond to the changing business environment, such as the increase in cremation rates and the increase in demand for natural burials, the opening of a natural burial grass field in 2021, followed by the opening of an 82-week natural burial tree yard in 2024, has been well-received.
In addition, in order to resolve the inconveniences residents face in terms of time, economy, and distance due to cremation of the head of the funeral, the construction of a joint funeral facility is being expedited with neighboring counties of Jeungpyeong-gun, Goesan-gun, and Eumseong-gun starting in 2023.
Jincheon County Governor Song Gi-seop said, “Jincheon County is doing its best to fulfill its social responsibility for the residents who are the owners of the region and to build a welfare environment where all citizens can enjoy the fruits of high regional economic development,” adding, “We will create a strong Jincheon and a sustainable welfare model by promoting advanced county administration that looks to the future.”
Queen Choi Ha Na Reporter Photo Jincheon-gun
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2024-07-04 14:30:42