Saengmyeongsup 100se healing center​

According to Statistics Korea, in 2021 there were about 0.52 million men aged 65 or older, and 1.28 million women aged 65 or older, living alone. Although the proportion of men living alone is relatively lower compared to women, what is important for older persons living on their own is their ability to perform the tasks of daily life, such as cooking and organizing their homes. For men aged 65 or older living on their own, coping with daily chores are a problem. The participation rate of men born before 1950 in domestic labor is close to 0 percent, which means that even cooking is difficult for them. According to Statistics Korea, couples who divorced after more than 30 years of marriage were 17.6 percent of the total number of divorces in 2021, up sharply from 7 percent in 2011. It is evident from this social background that men living alone are likely to be lonely.

To address the special circumstance of older men living on their own,  *Saengmyeongsup 100se healing center has been opened in a number of places, in collaboration with the Welfare Center and the Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation. Welfare Centers in each region submit applications for support to the Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation, the Foundation selects institutions, and subsidizes project expenses for the selected Welfare Center. Saengmyeongsup 100se healing center, established in 17 Welfare Centers nationwide, aims to help low-income older men living alone to become independent in their daily lives, and promotes sociality and health. Although each region has a slightly different programs, the project commonly conducts sociality promotion programs (smartphone education, music class, etc.), daily life independence programs (cooking class, organizing storage class, etc.), health promotion programs (Pilates, Taekwondo, etc.), and a cognitive rehabilitation program (CoTras).

* Saengmyeongsup 100se healing center means that a center that helps older persons live until the age of 100 in a forest-like community

The Dongducheon Senior Welfare Center, located in Gyeonggi-do, runs the program five days a week, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, Mondays to Fridays, over an 11-month period (February to December). CoTras also runs five days from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. From 10:30 to 12:30, the program changes from week to week, with cooking classes (10 periods) in the first week, organizing storage and nutrition education in the second week, exercise therapy programs in the third week, and leather crafting programs in the fourth week. After lunch, CoTras is held again, from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and work activities programs such as sewing, knitting, Go and chess, happen from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

About 40 low-income older men living on their own generally participate in the program over four days a week. In the satisfaction survey, most participants so far have given almost highest scores. Older man A, who participated in the project, said, "After my wife passed away, I was thoroughly depressed, but I made friends of my age and was helped a lot mentally while participating in the project." Older man B said, "I made a friend who often calls me to say hello and have fun together. I appreciate this."

Stakeholders of social welfare argue that delivering lunch boxes to homes can help people living alone, but in the long run increases their dependence on the services provided by others. In order to help them in the long term, they need to learn active ways to stand on their own feet and make friends. Saengmyeongsup 100se healing center allows people to participate in various programs from morning to afternoon every day. It relieves the loneliness of older men living on their own.

Saengmyeongsup 100se healing center provides an active welfare service targeting older men living on their own in the community. It cannot be said that any group, whatever their gender, is more vulnerable than another. However, it is true that older men living alone have had relatively low social attention compared to older women. Men have been increasingly isolating themselves without revealing their difficulties partly because of culture (Confucianism, etc.). Although the recent generation of young older persons, such as baby boomers, are different from older persons in the past, the reality is that it is not easy for older men after retirement to participate actively in society without a spouse. Mental health problems such as loneliness and isolation, which were not noticed in the past, have recently been recognized in society. From now on, it is important to identify older persons who isolate themselves so that they can participate in various projects as members of the community.