Supporting dementia patients living alone, as elderly couples, or cut off from family
Gangdong-gu recognized among 256 dementia care centers nationwide for protecting patients' rights and dignity
Gangdong-gu in Seoul has won the Ministry of Health and Welfare Minister's Award — an excellence prize — at the "2026 Dementia Public Guardianship Program Best Practices Competition," jointly organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Central Dementia Center.
At the competition held Aug. 24, three top-performing institutions and four excellence-level institutions were selected from among 256 dementia care centers nationwide. Gangdong-gu was named among the excellence-level honorees.
The district was recognized for its work protecting the rights and dignity of dementia patients whose decision-making capacity has declined and who lack access to family support.
The dementia public guardianship system is designed for patients whose cognitive decline leaves them unable to make decisions independently and who, due to family estrangement or other circumstances, cannot arrange for a guardian on their own. The Gangdong-gu Dementia Care Center helps patients access the public guardianship system so they can make necessary decisions about asset management and welfare services, and live stably within the community.
Gangdong-gu has participated as a national pilot institution for the dementia public guardianship program since 2018, laying the groundwork for the program's establishment.
"This award is the result of our efforts alongside the community to protect the rights and dignity of dementia patients," Gangdong-gu District Mayor Lee Su-hee said. "We will continue to advance the dementia public guardianship program so that patients who cannot rely on family care can live with their dignity intact."
Gangdong-gu will hold the "2026 Gangdong-gu Dementia Awareness Week" event on Sept. 11 at the open lawn plaza in front of the district office. The event will feature a caregiving fair offering consultations and information on dementia and caregiving, as well as a community-participation simulation drill for missing-person prevention. For more information, contact the Gangdong-gu Dementia Care Center or the Dementia Family Support Center.
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