City Government to install Care Plug at 1,000 additional households and replace 885
phones with “intelligent” safety phones
The Incheon Metropolitan City Government is actively responding to issues occurring in some of the blind spots in its welfare system and tackling problems stemming from aging population more effectively using innovative digital technology.
Incheon plans to install additional Care Plug devices in 1,000 households this year and replace 885 phones with “intelligent” safety phones to assist with the daily care of at-risk citizens and prevent senior citizens from dying alone.
Incheon’s Care Plug and intelligent safety phones are Internet of Things (IoT) devices. They are considered great examples of creating an “inclusive information society” where digital technology helps overcome gaps in care services for those in the blind spots of the welfare system. With 14.3% of its population aged 65 and over (as of 2021), Incheon has an aged society, which means these efforts to create a safety net that can take care of elderly citizens living alone more effectively is sorely needed for the City.
▲ Incheon plans to install additional Care Plug devices in 1,000 households this year and replace 885 phones with “intelligent” safety phones to assist with the daily care of at-risk citizens and prevent senior citizens from dying alone. Image of a safety phone.
Care Plug is a system that remotely monitors the user’s activity 24 hours a day by analyzing the usage of home appliances and changes in lighting conditions throughout the house. Using IoT technology, when the Care Plug detects danger (e.g. no change in power consumption or illumination in the home for an extended period), it automatically sends a text to the system operator. Then, the operator checks in with the Care Plug user to make sure they are not in any danger.
Last year, Care Plugs were installed in 979 at-risk households, such as households receiving basic livelihood support and near-poverty households, to respond promptly to and resolve crises situations.
In fact, in July 2021, a 75-year-old woman in Bupyeong-gu was in danger due to severe malnutrition. Fortunately, the Care Plug system promptly notified a caregiver, who then immediately provided assistance.
Incheon plans to install Care Plugs at 1,000 more at-risk households this year, and prevent senior citizens from dying unattended.
Meanwhile, the intelligent safety phone service was introduced for the first time in Korea back in 2018 by the Incheon Metropolitan City Government to help solve social problems, such as alienation, isolation, and neglect of elderly citizens living alone.
The safety phone service uses IoT technology and smartphones supplied to senior citizens living alone who need someone to monitor their safety. The service automatically detects motion, temperature, and lighting conditions, and also assigns caregivers who use phone calls or video calls to make sure their wards are safe.
The safety phone service not only prevents senior citizens from dying alone, but also relieves the feeling of alienation and depression senior citizens may experience by establishing friendships with caregivers. It also plays a role in monitoring the health of the elderly in other dangerous situations such as severe heat waves or cold waves.
As of last year, 8,621 senior citizens living alone were registered under the safety phone service. As part of the service, caregivers checked in with their patients once a week and visited them at their homes on 52 different occasions.
The City plans to replace and distribute 885 safety phones with 2022 models that come with added functions such as air quality measurement, fire and gas detection, schedule management, and music playback this year to further improve safety, emotional support, and daily assistance offered to senior citizens.
