Residents who recover at the district's transitional care facility are matched one-on-one with neighbors through the "Jungnang Donghang Neighbor Connect" program, which recorded 669 matches through late September this year.
Jungnang-gu is connecting residents who have completed their stay at the Jungnang Ansim transitional care facility with local neighbors through its "Jungnang Donghang Sarangnet" welfare platform, helping them return to everyday life with community support rather than in isolation.
The Jungnang Ansim transitional care facility gives elderly residents who have been discharged from hospital but have not yet fully recovered a place to stay and recuperate for up to two months before returning home. As residents complete their recovery and prepare to reintegrate into the community, the district links them with the "Jungnang Donghang Neighbor Connect" program to help them build natural relationships with those around them.
The Jungnang Donghang Sarangnet is a welfare platform that connects residents with one another and with various community resources. Within it, the Jungnang Donghang Neighbor Connect program pairs residents one-on-one, enabling them to check in on each other regularly and maintain ongoing everyday communication through an emotional support partnership.
The initiative's significance lies in bridging the support provided at the transitional care facility with life back in the community. Rather than offering one-time assistance or special activities, the program fosters ongoing relationships in which residents regularly exchange greetings and share their daily lives, helping them sustain their routines over the long term.
As of late September, the Jungnang Donghang Neighbor Connect program had facilitated a total of 669 matches. Jungnang-gu plans to expand neighbor connections to cover not only transitional care facility residents but also a wider range of residents based on their individual circumstances and needs, with the aim of sustaining lasting community relationships.
"Having a neighbor nearby who can ask how you are doing and share a conversation after you return to daily life can be a strong source of support," District Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi said. "We will use the Jungnang Donghang Sarangnet to connect residents with one another and ensure that welfare services translate into warm neighborly relationships within the community."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
