Bucheon City in Gyeonggi Province is proactively responding to the imminent entry into a rapidly aging society by accelerating the establishment of an information and communication technology (ICT)-based digital welfare system. In particular, the emergency safety reassurance service for seniors living alone is proving its effectiveness by playing a crucial role in protecting the lives of the elderly in actual crisis situations, drawing significant attention.
Last November, an 88-year-old man, Mr. Park, residing in Jung-dong, Bucheon City, lost consciousness and collapsed at home. The life support worker, who regularly checked on Mr. Park's well-being, recognized the abnormal situation through the motion detection function of the emergency safety reassurance service equipment and immediately reported it to 119, allowing Mr. Park to be quickly transported to the hospital. It was a critical situation due to a belatedly discovered diabetic complication, but thanks to the prompt response, Mr. Park's precious life could be saved.
In January of this year, an 85-year-old man, Mr. Yoo, also pressed the emergency call button at his home and requested urgent rescue. Upon receiving the report and arriving at the scene, the emergency management personnel immediately transported Mr. Yoo, who was complaining of severe pain, to the hospital. Mr. Yoo was able to avoid a life-threatening condition due to hyperkalemia.
As such, Bucheon City's emergency safety reassurance service for seniors living alone is playing a decisive role in securing the 'golden time' to protect the safety of the elderly, proving its practicality. This is evaluated as a significant achievement of Bucheon City's digital welfare policy, which has been promoted to proactively respond to the serious social problem of aging.
According to Bucheon City, as of the end of 2023, the city's senior population was 144,277, accounting for 18.7% of the total population of 769,918. Bucheon City's aging rate, which was 13.7% in 2020, has been steadily increasing every year, and experts predict that if this trend continues, the proportion of the elderly population will exceed 20% in 2026, marking the full-fledged entry into a super-aged society. A super-aged society refers to a society where the proportion of the population aged 65 or older exceeds 20% of the total population, causing significant changes and challenges across society, including healthcare, welfare, and the labor market.
To actively cope with this rapid change in population structure, Bucheon City is focusing on building a smart welfare infrastructure based on advanced technology, moving beyond the existing simple care services. In particular, the emergency safety reassurance service for elderly individuals living alone who have difficulty moving or have poor health has established itself as a core digital welfare policy.
The city has installed 1,556 units of various in-home devices, including fire and gas detection sensors, activity detectors, and emergency call buttons, in the homes of vulnerable seniors aged 65 or older living alone. It operates a real-time monitoring system where a signal is automatically transmitted to the fire department and emergency management personnel in the event of an emergency. Currently, approximately 1,483 seniors living alone are safely protected 24 hours a day through this service, and professional emergency management personnel belonging to the Bucheon Ojeong Senior Welfare Center provide regular equipment inspections, as well as 24-hour emergency dispatch and counseling services.
Furthermore, Bucheon City is accelerating its transition to a digital welfare city by expanding a care system that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Through the 'AI Elderly Companion Service' promoted by Gyeonggi Province, it supports the emotional stability of seniors living alone. It has also introduced the 'AI Welfare Call' service, which supports cognitive health screening, to help with the early detection and prevention of age-related diseases such as dementia. AI-based services are attracting attention as an important alternative in an aging society because they can provide continuous care and health management non-face-to-face, without the limitations of time and space.
Bucheon Mayor Cho Yong-ik emphasized, "Bucheon City's strategy is noteworthy as an exemplary case of effectively responding to an aging society with an innovative 'smart care' system that combines advanced technology and warm welfare, going beyond simple welfare policies." He also stated, "We will continue to actively utilize digital technology to ensure that seniors can lead safer, healthier, and more dignified lives in their later years."
Bucheon City's efforts to build a digital welfare system are significant in that they offer a proactive solution to the realistic crisis of a rapidly increasing elderly population and the resulting increase in social burden. In particular, the successful operation of the emergency safety reassurance service, which promptly responds to emergencies and protects the lives of the elderly, has significant implications for other local governments.
Experts evaluate that Bucheon City's case demonstrates that digital technology can play an important role in solving various problems in an aging society. They advise that more local governments need to actively build smart welfare systems tailored to their regional characteristics based on Bucheon City's experience.
However, it is also pointed out that for the successful establishment of a digital welfare system, continuous attention and investment are needed in various aspects, including resolving the digital device usage gap among the elderly, strengthening personal information protection and security, and minimizing inconveniences in the actual service usage process, as well as technical aspects.
In conclusion, Bucheon City is achieving significant results in protecting the safety and health of the elderly through the proactive establishment of a digital welfare system in response to the serious sense of crisis regarding the upcoming super-aged society. It is hoped that Bucheon City's smart care system will continue to develop and spread through continuous technological development, social interest, and policy support.
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