The Incheon Metropolitan Government has significantly strengthened its social safety net for vulnerable seniors in response to the ongoing heat wave advisories. Since June, the city has linked public and private sponsorship resources to provide cooling supplies and special meals to 5,848 vulnerable seniors, while expanding safety checks for high-risk groups to once a day to prevent heat-related illnesses.
 [코리안투데이] Incheon provides cooling supplies to vulnerable seniors in preparation for the heat wave © 장형임 기자 |
The Incheon Metropolitan Government (Mayor Park Chan-dae) announced that it is running preemptive protective measures to prevent heat-related illnesses among heat-vulnerable seniors and to help them stay healthy through the summer as heat wave advisories continue.
Since June, the city has actively linked public and private sponsorship resources in its response. To date, it has provided 5,848 vulnerable seniors with cooling supplies such as electric fans, cooling mats, cooling neck bands, and cooling blankets, along with special meal sets including samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup). Because the heat poses a direct threat to seniors’ health, the aim is to offer practical help so they can get through the sweltering weather safely and in good health.
The safety-check system has also become more thorough. The city has identified in advance 2,837 people in high-risk groups—including those with mobility difficulties, chronic illnesses, and seniors in vulnerable living environments—and is managing them intensively through daily living support workers. In particular, safety checks that were normally conducted two to three times a week have been expanded to once a day when a heat wave advisory or warning is in effect, combining phone calls with in-person visits.
The city is also guiding seniors to places where they can escape the heat. Along with the safe lodging facilities for vulnerable groups operated by the counties and districts, the city plans to actively encourage the use of cooling shelters such as senior community centers, financial institutions, libraries, religious facilities, and convenience stores, thereby preventing safety accidents caused by the heat wave and tropical nights in advance.
These measures are significant in that they serve as a practical safety net for seniors who live alone or have difficulty moving and thus struggle to cope with the heat on their own. Providing cooling supplies and conducting periodic wellness checks not only helps prevent heat-related illnesses but also plays a role in the early detection of the risks of isolation.
Yoo Jun-ho, director of the city’s Loneliness Care Bureau, said, ‘Since the heat can be a direct risk factor for seniors’ health, prevention beforehand is more important than anything else,’ adding, ‘We will continue to link public and private sponsorships and operate a thorough protection system so that seniors can spend a safe and healthy summer even amid the heat wave.’
지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화
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