Hosted by the Central Dementia Center, Happy Brain takes top honor in group category with Minister of Health and Welfare Award; recognized for 1,505 hours of service over two years

Members of Happy Brain, a dementia volunteer group in Seoul's Jungnang-gu, pose for a photo with Jungnang-gu District Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi (front row, second from right) after winning the top prize in the group category at the 2026 Outstanding Dementia Partner Activity Competition. [Jungnang-gu]
Members of Happy Brain, a dementia volunteer group in Seoul's Jungnang-gu, pose for a photo with Jungnang-gu District Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi (front row, second from right) after winning the top prize in the group category at the 2026 Outstanding Dementia Partner Activity Competition. [Jungnang-gu]

Seoul's Jungnang-gu announced Friday that it won the top prize in the group category — the Minister of Health and Welfare Award — at the 2026 Outstanding Dementia Partner Activity Competition hosted by the Central Dementia Center.

A "dementia partner" is someone who, drawing on an understanding of dementia, looks out for and assists patients and their families in everyday life. The competition was organized to identify and promote exemplary cases of individuals and groups that have taken a leading role in supporting dementia patients and their families.

The Jungnang-gu Dementia Care Center has operated a specialized dementia volunteer group called Happy Brain since 2012; 62 volunteers are currently active in the community. Over the past two years, Happy Brain logged a total of 1,505 hours of volunteer work. The group has taken part in a wide range of dementia-related initiatives — including screening support, cognitive activity programs for patients and public awareness campaigns — earning recognition for its sustained, professional contributions to improving community understanding of dementia and supporting those affected. That track record was cited as the basis for the award.

The Jungnang-gu Dementia Care Center also runs a door-to-door early dementia screening service that visits each neighborhood to help detect the condition in older residents at an early stage. Depending on the results, the center connects individuals with services including subsidies for dementia treatment costs, GPS tracking devices and identification tags for wandering patients, and fingerprint registration to help prevent missing-person incidents.

"This award reflects the efforts of the Happy Brain volunteers, who have spent years sharing care and support with dementia patients and their families," Jungnang-gu District Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi said. "We will continue working with the community to build a dementia-friendly environment and expand support for patients and their families."


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