Ongjin-gun County (Governor Jang Jeong-min) has produced tangible results in the first half of the year from its “Smart Senior Center Health Class,” a program introduced to safeguard the health of elderly residents despite the geographic constraints of living on islands. Based on the first-half operating results, Ongjin County announced it selected 10 outstanding participating senior centers, including the Jinchon 1-ri Senior Center in Baengnyeong-myeon Township, and delivered gifts to encourage their active participation.
 [The Korean Today] Elderly residents participating in the Smart Senior Center Health Class © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
Given that Ongjin County consists of island areas across seven townships, the county has struggled to consistently operate in-person health education due to factors such as inclement weather and passenger ferry schedules. In response, the Public Health Center has worked to close regional gaps in health services and promote elderly health by running real-time remote health classes every Monday, using the two-way remote video system installed at 73 smart senior centers across the county.
The Smart Senior Center Health Class began operating in January this year. Specialized personnel from the Public Health Center — including exercise instructors, nutritionists, smoking cessation counselors, dental hygienists and occupational therapists — provide customized health management services through real-time video education. The program consists of physical activities such as clapping exercises, customized nutrition management, moderation in drinking and smoking cessation practice, chronic disease prevention, dementia prevention and mental health care, and oral health management, helping elderly residents practice healthy living and improve their self-management skills.
 [The Korean Today] Ongjin County’s Smart Senior Center remote health class © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
The 10 outstanding participating senior centers selected this time were chosen through a comprehensive evaluation of education participation rates, program engagement, and operational cooperation, with the Jinchon 1-ri Senior Center in Baengnyeong-myeon Township notably among those recognized.
 [The Korean Today] Delivery of encouragement gifts to outstanding participating senior centers © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
The Public Health Center plans to continue the Smart Senior Center Health Class in the second half of the year and select 10 additional outstanding participating senior centers in December to encourage further participation. It also plans to continue expanding ICT-based health promotion programs so that elderly residents in island areas can receive equal health management services regardless of where they live.
A Public Health Center official said, “The Smart Senior Center Health Class is a leading non-face-to-face health promotion program that overcomes the geographic constraints of island areas to provide elderly residents with continuous health management services.” The official added, “We will continue to expand ICT-based customized health services to support a healthy old age for our elderly residents and do our utmost to close regional health gaps.”
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
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