Yesan County Steps Up to Support ‘Dignified Endings’ for Elderly Living Alone with No Kin
Yesan County, Chungcheongnam-do, is launching the nationally recognized 'Pre-Arranged Funeral Management Project' to help low-income elderly individuals living alone without relatives experience a dignified end-of-life. This proactive measure addresses the growing issue of social isolation and aims to strengthen the social safety net in an aging society. The project provides practical assistance to elderly individuals who lack the financial means or social support to arrange their own funerals, ensuring they maintain their dignity until their final moments.
Yesan County plans to offer customized funeral services that go beyond simple funeral support, respecting and reflecting the wishes of the deceased. To achieve this, pre-arrangements will involve consultations to gather the individual's preferences regarding the funeral style, procedures, and memorial services. These preferences will then be incorporated into the funeral process to honor and commemorate the individual's life. Yesan County's efforts are recognized as a model case of practicing respect and consideration for vulnerable members of society, going beyond the provision of mere welfare services.
What Specific Support Does the ‘Pre-Arranged Funeral Management Project’ Offer?
Yesan County's 'Pre-Arranged Funeral Management Project' includes the following specific support:
- Comprehensive Funeral Procedure Support: Assistance with all aspects of the funeral, including selecting a funeral home, providing funeral supplies, and managing the funeral proceedings.
- Pre-Arrangement Consultation and Reflection of Deceased's Wishes: Gathering the individual's preferences regarding the funeral style, procedures, and memorial services through pre-arrangement consultations and reflecting these wishes in the funeral process to the greatest extent possible.
- Emotional Support: Providing support for communication with surviving family or friends during the funeral process, as well as offering psychological support and comfort.
- Post-Mortem Care: Providing post-funeral services such as organizing belongings and assisting with administrative procedures to help ensure a clean and respectful conclusion to the individual's life.
Through this support, Yesan County aims to help elderly individuals living alone without relatives have dignified funerals without financial burden, contributing to the prevention of social isolation and loneliness. In particular, the customized funeral services that reflect the wishes of the deceased through pre-arrangement consultations will provide a meaningful experience that respects and honors the individual's life.
Expected to Prevent Social Isolation and Strengthen the Social Safety Net
Yesan County's 'Pre-Arranged Funeral Management Project' is expected to contribute significantly to preventing social isolation and strengthening the social safety net, going beyond simple funeral support. Social isolation is recognized not only as an individual problem but also as a problem for society as a whole, requiring an active response. Through this project, Yesan County will strive to identify elderly individuals living alone at risk of social isolation early on, strengthen social networks, and prevent social isolation. In addition, funeral support will provide psychological stability and comfort to the deceased and their loved ones, and support them in maintaining their dignity as members of society.
An official from Yesan County stated, “We will do our best to ensure that elderly individuals living alone without relatives can have a dignified end to their lives through this project.” They added, “We will continue to develop and promote various welfare policies for vulnerable members of society to create a happier Yesan County together.”
Yesan County Continues Efforts to Eliminate Welfare Blind Spots
In addition to the 'Pre-Arranged Funeral Management Project,' Yesan County is making various efforts to eliminate welfare blind spots. It provides customized welfare services for vulnerable groups such as the low-income, people with disabilities, and the elderly, and strengthens connections with the local community to build a more robust welfare system. In particular, it plans to expand the welfare budget in 2024 to support more residents to receive benefits. Yesan County's efforts will contribute to creating a society where all residents can live happily, based on consideration and respect for vulnerable members of society.
Under current law, local governments are responsible for the funerals of individuals who die with no kin, but in reality, these often amount to formal procedures. Yesan County's project is expected to improve these issues and play an important role in protecting the dignity of the deceased.
Yesan County's leading 'Pre-Arranged Funeral Management Project' presents new possibilities for solving the problem of social isolation. It is expected that more local governments will refer to Yesan County's example to expand and strengthen welfare policies for vulnerable members of society. Learn more about Yesan County's welfare policies right now.