Gangnam District in Seoul installed a screen park golf course at the newly built Dogok Senior Citizen Center last month. Reservations were accepted for the first trial operation on the 23rd of this month, but it was already fully booked early last week. This indicates that senior centers are beginning to establish themselves as sports facilities.
Senior centers are also transforming into health management centers. Uiwang City in Gyeonggi Province is distributing blood pressure monitors and blood glucose meters to local senior centers. This helps monitor the health status of seniors visiting the centers. Depending on their health condition, they also offer post-management assistance. By checking blood pressure and blood sugar, if any anomalies are detected, they facilitate connections to hospitals.
◇ Senior centers hitting 'nice shots'... enjoying park golf indoors
Senior centers are changing. They are transforming into 'complex cultural facilities' where you can enjoy screen park golf, play games, and even manage health. In the past, senior centers were strongly perceived as places where seniors would watch TV or listen to the radio to foster camaraderie.
Gangnam District in Seoul installed a screen park golf course while rebuilding the more than 30-year-old Dogok Senior Citizen Center. This was in response to the complaints of residents who requested the installation after other districts began operating screen park golf courses. Coincidentally, Gangnam District, which was concerned about the aging of the existing senior center, decided to include a screen park golf course in the new Dogok Senior Citizen Center. This screen park golf course is called the 'Maebong Senior Center Affiliated Park Golf Academy.'
Gangnam District's screen park golf course will start trial operations from the 23rd. It will accommodate a total of four teams, each consisting of 3 to 6 people, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Reservations were taken on a first-come-first-served basis, and they reportedly filled up early last week due to high demand.
Earlier, in April, a screen park golf facility was also established at a senior center in Yongun-dong, Dong District, Daejeon. It gained popularity among seniors enjoying park golf this summer, spreading by word of mouth. This is because there is no need to walk around under the scorching sun outdoors; you can exercise comfortably indoors while enjoying the air conditioning.
◇ From games to kiosk usage, and even health management
The Gwangjin-type Smart Senior Center in Gwangjin District, Seoul, serves as an indoor game room for seniors. At the smart table with a large screen, one can enjoy over 20 types of content that promote brain activity. This helps in preventing dementia by encouraging continuous brain usage.
Senior centers also serve as schools that teach how to use information technology (IT) devices commonly used in daily life. Dongjak District in Seoul is operating a total of five smart senior centers: Noryangjin 1-dong Senior Center, Songhak Senior Center, Paenamugol Senior Center, Sinnamseong Senior Center, and Daebang Central Senior Center. Kiosks are installed here, allowing users to learn how to place orders at restaurants or book train tickets.
Uiwang City in Gyeonggi Province is carrying out the 'Smart Senior Center Healthy Centenarian' project. The pilot project, which started in January of last year targeting 20 places, is currently being implemented in more than 100 locations. Each senior center is provided with two units each of AI speakers, blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters, and body composition analyzers. Through this, they offer health measurement for seniors using the centers and provide both non-contact and face-to-face post-management programs.
To date, 95,278 health measurements including blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight have been conducted. Among these, 250 cases that could pose health risks were detected early, allowing seniors to receive medical consultations at healthcare institutions.
A representative from the Ministry of Health and Welfare noted, “As far as I know, facilities like senior centers do not exist in neighboring countries like Japan and China, as well as in Western Europe and the United States,” adding, “It is a unique facility found only in Korea.” Domestically, senior centers are conveniently located near apartment complexes and dwellings, making them easily accessible. Additionally, they are operated free of charge.