Yangcheon-gu is accepting applications through July 31 for its 2026 Senior Safe Residential Environment Improvement Project, a program aimed at preventing fall accidents among homebound elderly residents and creating safer living conditions.
Launched in 2023 in response to South Korea's rapidly aging population, the project helps seniors continue living safely in their own homes. The district has expanded the program each year, providing a cumulative total of 4,789 customized safety items to more than 1,680 seniors through last year.
This year, the district is raising both the support limit and the range of eligible items, and plans to strengthen residential safety support by linking the program with its integrated care service, which has been in operation since March.
The per-household support limit will increase from 250,000 won ($162) to 300,000 won, with high-risk cases or households with urgent residential safety needs eligible for up to 400,000 won.
The list of covered items will grow from 13 to 16, broadening residents' options. Existing items — including fixed, bed-mounted and toilet-mounted grab bars, non-slip bathroom floor mats, shower chairs, LED sensor lights, threshold ramps and canes — will be joined by three new additions: smart smoke detectors, spray fire extinguishers and outdoor grab bars, extending the program's coverage beyond fall prevention to fire safety as well.
The program targets 500 households of mobility-impaired residents aged 65 or older living in Yangcheon-gu. If applications exceed that number, the district will give priority to integrated-care recipients, then weigh factors including basic livelihood assistance status, near-poverty status, age, living conditions and health when selecting beneficiaries.
Selected households will receive a home visit from a professional contractor, who will conduct a one-on-one consultation with the senior and supply and install items tailored to each individual's safety vulnerabilities and needs. A safety instructor will also be present during installation to walk residents through fall-prevention guidelines and safety procedures.
Applications can be submitted at the community center in the applicant's registered district. For seniors who have difficulty visiting in person, the district plans to offer a one-stop service — from identifying eligible residents to consultation and support — through visiting nurses and welfare workers at local community centers.
"Falls can have a serious impact on seniors' health and daily lives, so we expanded the program this year to provide more thorough support and prevent accidents," district mayor Lee Gi-jae said. "Going forward, we will continue to carefully assess residential environments and strengthen our community-centered integrated care system so that seniors with mobility difficulties can spend their later years safely and comfortably in the homes they know."
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