Emergency Safety Services for Seniors: A Comprehensive Guide to South Korea’s 2026 Welfare Initiatives

Gongju City in South Chungcheong Province is implementing multiple measures to prevent lonely deaths among seniors who live alone and to close gaps in the welfare safety net as single-elder households rise.

According to Statistics Korea, the number of deaths linked to solitary living was 3,559 in 2022 and 3,661 in 2023. Recipients of basic livelihood security accounted for 39.7% (1,301) of those deaths in 2022 and 41.4% (1,413) in 2023. Those figures highlight both the need to support economically vulnerable households and the fact that solitary deaths are not limited to economically disadvantaged groups. The incidents involved single-person households, housing-related cases, and suicides.  

The city said on the 24th that it has stepped up close monitoring through an emergency safety service for elderly and disabled people living alone and through tailored care services for seniors.

First, the emergency safety assurance service for elderly and disabled residents living alone establishes safeguards so those in blind spots can recognize emergencies—such as fires or gas leaks—and respond by contacting emergency services (119 in Korea). 

Eligible recipients include people who actually live alone and are 65 or older regardless of income; basic livelihood security recipients; near-poverty households; basic pension recipients in two-person elderly households that include an older adult with illness or limited mobility; two-person households with at least one resident aged 75 or older; grandparent–grandchild households composed only of an elderly person (65+) and a child or grandchild (24 or younger); and disabled people receiving activity support who live alone or are otherwise vulnerable. 

The city installs emergency equipment in participants’ homes that monitors activity, heart rate, breathing, sleep, fire detection, and falls 24 hours a day, and it links alerts to case managers and the 119 fire and rescue service in emergencies. 

Next is the tailored senior care service, designed to meet growing social demand driven by an increase in older adults—especially those living alone—greater need for care, weakening family caregiving, and shrinking social networks among seniors. 

The program covers people 65 and older who receive basic livelihood support, are near-poverty, or receive the basic pension—single seniors, those who need physical or mental care, elderly couples, and recently discharged hospital patients. 

Through phone calls and home visits, staff assess overall safety, including household layout and living conditions, and evaluate seniors’ basic physical, mental, and social well‑being. 

Services include promoting social participation, providing life-skills education, assisting with daily living, connecting recipients to donated goods from private partners, and offering targeted management for those at high risk of isolation, depression, or suicide. The program also provides follow-up care and short-term intensive services for discharged patients. 

In Gongju, 3,487 people are eligible for care, supported by 17 dedicated social workers and 211 care aides. 

Care aides who provide year-round household support for vulnerable seniors help prevent social isolation and maintain daily routines. They deliver general care to support everyday activities and relationships, and focused care—addressing physical limitations—by assisting with meals and cleaning. 

General care involves a one-hour visit once a week plus 2–3 wellness check calls per week; focused care provides two weekly visits totaling five hours of care plus 2–3 calls per week. 

Across four agencies in 16 towns and neighborhoods, 3,138 people receive these services. 

These efforts go beyond simple welfare checks: staff monitor recipients’ health, hear about daily difficulties, and provide emotional support. 

Meanwhile, equipment distributed to 745 elderly and disabled individuals living alone—including gateways, activity sensors, fire detectors, door sensors, and emergency call devices—plays a crucial role during emergencies.