The Korea Employment Agency for Older Persons signed an MOU Thursday at the Gangwon Sustainable Economy Support Center in Wonju, Gangwon Province, to advance the G-care Manager Senior Capacity Utilization Pilot Program. From left: Ko Jae-chan, director at the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service; Song Woo-yeol, deputy director of the Gangwon regional office of the Korea Employment Agency for Older Persons; Lee Gi-won, acting chairman of the Gangwon Sustainable Economy Support Center; Park Jun-yeong, chairman of the Wonju Cooperative Social Economy Network; and Lee Gwang-hui, chairman of the Gangwon Medical Welfare Social Cooperative. [Korea Employment Agency for Older Persons]
The Korea Employment Agency for Older Persons signed an MOU Thursday at the Gangwon Sustainable Economy Support Center in Wonju, Gangwon Province, to advance the G-care Manager Senior Capacity Utilization Pilot Program. From left: Ko Jae-chan, director at the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service; Song Woo-yeol, deputy director of the Gangwon regional office of the Korea Employment Agency for Older Persons; Lee Gi-won, acting chairman of the Gangwon Sustainable Economy Support Center; Park Jun-yeong, chairman of the Wonju Cooperative Social Economy Network; and Lee Gwang-hui, chairman of the Gangwon Medical Welfare Social Cooperative. [Korea Employment Agency for Older Persons]

The Korea Employment Agency for Older Persons signed an MOU Thursday at the Gangwon Sustainable Economy Innovation Center in Wonju, Gangwon Province, to advance the G-care Manager Senior Capacity Utilization Pilot Program.

The signing ceremony was attended by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the Gangwon Medical Welfare Social Cooperative, the Wonju Cooperative Social Economy Network and the Gangwon Sustainable Economy Support Center.

The agreement aims to create jobs linking integrated care services by enabling local residents to take an active role as care providers through cooperation among social economy organizations.

The G-care Manager program is a community-led integrated care job initiative aimed at helping seniors with pre-dementia cognitive impairment maintain their health and build social networks. The name combines "Gangwon," the province where the program operates, and "care," reflecting the role of community activists — or managers — who look after health-vulnerable households in the region.

Participants work in pairs, visiting the homes of seniors with mild cognitive impairment to check on their well-being, provide companionship and offer health care support, while sharing emotional encouragement and health information.

The program runs as a senior capacity utilization pilot, with participants working for six months from July through December.

Under the agreement, the Korea Employment Agency for Older Persons and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service will oversee the program and provide funding; the Gangwon Medical Welfare Social Cooperative will handle job placement after the program ends; the Wonju Cooperative Social Economy Network will manage participant selection and training; and the Gangwon Sustainable Economy Support Center will handle overall administrative operations.

Jeon Gi-wan, head of the Gangwon regional office of the Korea Employment Agency for Older Persons, said the agreement represents "a social economy cooperation model in which local residents take the lead in providing care across medical, welfare and emotional support." "We will continue working to close care gaps for vulnerable groups in Gangwon Province and create quality jobs," he added.


thlee@heraldcorp.com