“We will increase support for dementia patients”

“Dementia is becoming a big issue in the Korean community as the population ages accelerates. We will actively expand support for dementia patients in the future.”
Dr. Shin Hye-won, who served as the secretary general of Somang Society (hereafter Somang, Chairman Yoo Bun-ja) from this year, cited the expansion of programs for dementia patients and their families as one of the main tasks among Somang’s various activities.
President Shin, who received a doctorate in biomedical engineering from UC Irvine, is the director of the Asian American community at the UC Irvine Center for Dementia and Brain Diseases MIND.
President Shin explained that Koreans face difficulties in almost all areas, from diagnosis to initial response and facilities for dementia patients. “There are many Koreans who find it difficult to take the test in English. If we come up with a way to diagnose dementia in Korean, more Koreans can receive help from the beginning,” he emphasized.
It is currently impossible to treat dementia, a degenerative brain disease, but it can slow down the progression, and for this purpose, early diagnosis is important. President Shin pledged, “We will work hard to come up with a plan to support dementia for Koreans in cooperation with mainstream institutions and academia.”
He regretted the lack of day care centers that Koreans could go to from the early stages of dementia. “There are many Koreans who avoid facilities for other ethnicities due to differences in language, food, and culture. More day care centers for Koreans should be added.”
Somang operates one somang care class in Anaheim and one in LA. Since the patient-volunteer ratio has to be maintained at 10:1, the current quota is 10 each. If the number of volunteers increases, the capacity can also be increased.
In the future, President Shin announced that he would proceed with various programs in Korean and English for English-speaking children caring for Korean parents with dementia, ▶attract various grants, and ▶operate Hope Care Class in connection with mainstream institutions and hospitals.
The Somang side plans to develop existing programs such as writing a will of hope and donating a body, while expanding projects such as digging wells and building schools in Chad, Africa, to Central and South America starting this year.
President Shin said, “Last year was the 15th anniversary of the Somang Society. I want to contribute a lot to the development of Somang, which is taking a leap forward for the next 15 years from this year.”
Written and photographed = Reporter Lim Sang-hwan