A Proposal of University-Community Cooperative Projects for Community Regeneration Based on the Elderly Living Alone

Together with a tendency of the nuclear family, entering the ageing period, Korea has the increased number of senior citizens. Besides, suicide rate of the elderly, called the relatively socially disadvantaged, increased to 2 times for recent 10 years, also rapidly increasing the ‘elderly of solitary death’, who die alone. It is urgent for governments and administrative organs to prepare a policy for the poor elderly living alone within a province but present supportive measures have several limits. Support for the elderly living alone is not a year-round project but a temporary solution. Every senior citizen living alone cannot participate in services provided only for certain time at the limited places including a welfare center. Constructed emergency service system is not also provided equally for every regional senior citizen living alone. As for care, it suggests only one-way activities of unspecified majority so gives no radical solution. Accordingly, this study aims at inducing restoration of a community for the elderly living alone within Seodaemun-Gu. So, through understanding actual situations of the elderly living alone and regional exchange, present cases of welfare work in the age of ageing, it derives problems and suggests a university-community cooperative project for the elderly living alone as a solution. Convergence education and an income-producing program are executed centered our university through the linkage with related groups. This program has sustainability through creation of contents and circulation of consumption, having the characteristic of active exchange through expansion of the participatory space and community regeneration for the elderly living alone. Though limited to certain area of Seodaemun-Gu, it also has expandability to be applied to similar regions. It is expected to be a basis for research when planning regional cooperative projects hereafter.