Gwangjin-gu has launched two new services — an in-home hairdressing program and an AI-based proactive fall-prevention service — to improve the daily lives of integrated-care recipients and help them live safely at home.
The initiatives are part of Gwangjin-gu's specialized integrated-care program, which aims to help residents in need of care remain stable in familiar surroundings. The district focused on delivering lifestyle-oriented care to residents who have difficulty accessing services outside the home, and on building a prevention-centered safety management system for those at high risk of falls.
The in-home hairdressing service is being carried out in partnership with the Gwangjin-gu chapter of the Korea Hairdressers Association. Eligible recipients include integrated-care beneficiaries rated level 1 or 2 under the long-term care home-benefit system, as well as recently discharged patients with limited mobility — residents who cannot easily visit a salon on their own.
Once enrolled, a hairdresser from the Gwangjin-gu chapter will visit the recipient's home to provide hair and grooming services. The program is designed to ease the hygiene burden on residents who rarely go out, while also helping them maintain a tidy appearance and emotional well-being. The service is free for basic livelihood and basic pension recipients; all other eligible residents pay a 10,000 won ($7) co-payment.
Alongside this, the district is partnering with Happy Aging Co. to roll out an AI-based proactive fall-prevention service for integrated-care recipients identified as high fall risks. Motion-detection sensors and devices installed in the home collect data on daily activity patterns to predict fall risk before an incident occurs — shifting the focus from responding after accidents to identifying and addressing hazards in advance.
In addition, a certified fall-prevention specialist will visit each recipient's home once a week to lead a personalized exercise program tailored to the individual's physical condition and living environment. The sessions aim to improve balance and muscle strength, reduce anxiety about falling, and help residents continue their daily routines more safely.
Through these new programs, the district aims to broaden the scope of its integrated-care services and support care recipients in living independently at home. The in-home hairdressing service is expected to ease everyday inconveniences, while the AI-based fall-prevention service should reduce the risk of accidents — contributing to healthier aging and lower medical costs for residents.
"We designed these programs by carefully looking at the difficulties care-dependent residents face in their daily lives and finding ways to offer real, practical help," Gwangjin-gu District Mayor Kim Kyong-ho said. "We will continue to develop a wide range of integrated-care services tailored to each resident's circumstances, so that everyone in our community can live with confidence and peace of mind."
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