Korea is aging at an exceptionally fast pace in the world and is expected to enter a super-aged society around 2025. The average life expectancy has increased due to the improvement of living standards and the development of medical technology, so the...
Korea is aging at an exceptionally fast pace in the world and is expected to enter a super-aged society around 2025. The average life expectancy has increased due to the improvement of living standards and the development of medical technology, so the proportion of old age in the life cycle of people is increasing. As a result, there are various social problems associated with aging such as a decrease in the working age population, an increase in medical expenditures and poverty among the elderly, while interest in the quality of life for the elderly is also increasing.
Accordingly, this study selected Seocho District in Seoul Metropolitan Government as the research target which was accepted as a member of the World Health Organization's Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities this year. The purpose of this study is to analyze and measure Seocho District's age-friendliness from the perspective of the elderly residing in Seocho District by conducting face-to-face questionnaire survey and to suggest improvements for vulnerable areas.
As a result, all eight areas examined showed an average level of satisfaction, but the lower three areas were identified in the order of Community support and health services, Respect and social inclusion, and Communication and information. Improvements for the lower three vulnerable areas were suggested, based on cases from neighboring Japan, which entered the super-aged society earlier.
This study is meaningful in that it was not a study on age-friendliness before the approval of Seocho District to join the global network but rather measuring the satisfaction of age-friendliness after the approval of membership and it suggested furthermore needed improvements from the perspective of the elderly who are actual users for the future development of age-friendly city.