Six sites visited, from senior welfare centers and day care facilities to a welfare foundation, women's center and shelter for the visually impaired
Committee hears from users and staff to identify ways to improve welfare services
The Welfare and Culture Committee of the Gangnam-gu Council conducted a series of on-site visits to welfare facilities in the district, reviewing their operations and exploring ways to improve services on the ground.
During the 338th extraordinary session, the committee visited Gangnam Senior Welfare Center, Gangnam Day Care Center and Gangnam Silver Center on Friday, then called on the Gangnam Welfare Foundation, Gangnam Women's Capacity Development Center and a shelter for the visually impaired on Monday.
The visits were aimed at examining each institution's key programs and operational conditions, identifying challenges in service delivery and gathering insights to shape welfare policies that offer tangible benefits to residents.
At Gangnam Senior Welfare Center, members reviewed support for lifelong education, health management and social participation among elderly residents. They paid particular attention to a program using a digital experience space called "Metaspace" to improve seniors' access to digital devices and technology.
At Gangnam Day Care Center and Gangnam Silver Center, the committee assessed daytime care arrangements, daily living support and nursing services for older residents.
At the Gangnam Welfare Foundation, members examined tailored support programs designed to connect private welfare resources and reach residents who fall through the cracks of the social safety net. At Gangnam Women's Capacity Development Center, they looked into vocational training and employment and startup support for women, while at the shelter for the visually impaired they reviewed programs supporting social participation, information exchange and leisure activities for people with disabilities.
Committee Chair Oh On-nuri led the visits, joined by Deputy Speaker Kim Hyeon-jeong and Assembly members Woo Jong-hyeok, Lee Jong-won, Ko Eun-jin, Yoon Su-hyeok and Bae Geun-hee. The members received briefings on each institution's programs, toured the facilities and listened to feedback from users and staff.
"These visits gave us a meaningful opportunity to see firsthand how each facility supports the lives of our residents and to hear directly from the people who use and run them," Oh said. "We will look closely at the difficulties each institution faces on the ground and work to translate that into real improvements."
She added that the committee would continue to communicate closely with facilities in the field to ensure that welfare services needed by seniors, people with disabilities, women and other residents are delivered with substance and consistency.
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