Shanghai Government Representatives’ Visit

The representatives from Civil Bureau of Shanghai Government visited the Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly in Busan, Korea to discuss the common solution to elderly problems in both Korea and China.Also, it offered a valuable opportunity to share the vision for the 2008 Fourth Active Aging Conference in Asia Pacific.

Cyber Family’s Off-line Meeting

The Cyber Family (Busan Keonguk Middle School, Japan Osaka Keonguk Middle School, and Elderly Participants) exchange program was conducted on March, 19, 2007. This gave Cyber Family a chance to meet their long-cherished members again after the offline festival last year. We hope Cyber Family will continue their good harmony via the internet no matter how far they are as they became a virtual family.

Seventeens and Seventies “We feel no Generational Gap”

On / off-line Meeting through Cyber Family Program by the Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly
The warm conversation between adolescents and the elderly…now made into the book

[Pusanilbo 2007. 02.15]

Is an honest talk between grandpa in seventies and a boy in seventeen possible? For grandpa, a boy may seem fussy. As for a boy, grandpa may seem fusty.

However, the real problem has always been the bias. That’s why the program turned out to be effective. The program was conducted by the Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly. The whole result was compiled in the book called ‘사이버 가족 Cyber Family’. It is rather a compiling report of the past 10 years since the establishment of the institute.

The book doesn’t have one specific figure. It is a book without heroes. Instead of heroes, there are a number of pictures and talks. In the pictures, many elderly and children appear. They had an open talk, as if they were playing at a tug of war or three-legged race to overcome the generational gap.

“I want to raise my hand and ask the teacher a question, but I have no courage to do so as I’m not very good at studying. I don’t want to be seen, by my friends, as bothering the class. I know I have to do something to change my personality, but I simply can’t.”

“Why don’t you try raising your question loudly? The beginning is always difficult, but once you get used to it, you’ll be better at it.”

“Well, I understand raising a question is not easy. Why don’t you send an e-mail to your teacher? Your curiosity on something proves that you have interest in the study. Also, don’t underestimate your fine personality.”

These are the posted articles in the Chapter 2 and Chapter 5 . First, the adolescent posted their questions and then the elderly wrote their answers. The talk was not awkward. Rather, it appears more familiar than the one between friends of the same age. The problem was not generational gap.

The Chapter 7 attracted our attention for the same reason.
“Studying is my biggest trouble. And I started to feel annoyed at nagging of my parents. I feel like I’m becoming an adolescent. I want to go out of my house. I don’t know if my parents are aware of this.”

“You feel probably bad about your parents since they don’t express their care but only nag you out. Then, imagine that you’re a father and what would you do with your children. Can you think of different ways to treat them? I think your parents are concerned about the fact that if you lose the time to study right now, you’ll have rare chance to do it again. That is because of the love of your parents to you.”

The grade and lose of self-confidence is the common topic for the adolescent. Therefore, the topic tends to be quite serious. However, it doesn’t mean that the talk also has to be weighed down. With a simple phrase of “I understand you,” the gate of the talk was opened. The Chapter 31 and the Chapter 35 contains this issue.

“I’ve studied early in the morning, but my grades don’t improve. What should I do?”

“I guess you feel quite a burden. I’ve seen some people who were weak in an actual test. However, the effort is never in vain as long as there’s a certain goal.”

“Hypnotize yourself. There are not always good things in the world. “Murphy’s law’ is much more powerful than ‘Sally’s law’. I’d like to tell you that if you can’t avoid it, then enjoy it.”

The talk doesn’t always need a special topic. There are some articles that share the remembrance and experiences in the Chapter 6 .
“I was surprised to hear that an azalea is edible. I tried some and the taste was sweet though a bit strange.”
“You haven’t tried an azalea until now? When I was a girl like you, I used to play with my friends a ‘flower game’ and ate an azalea so much that both of my lips became blue. We called an edible plant as a real flower and inedible as a dog flower.”

The talk goes beyond the national boundaries. In the Chapter 42 and Chapter 44 , there are cyber talks between the students in Osaka, Japan and the elderly in Korea.
“Dear grandpa and grandma in Korea. I feel like we’re much closer through talking on the Internet. I can’t go to Korea often, but I’m really happy to meet our Cyber Family any time through the internet.”

Any tangled yarn can be raveled smoothly with time. The conversation was just like that. It was the exit to the blocked world without communication. Whenever the adolescents expressed their troubles and the elderly posted their answer. The answer was more like sympathy than an advice, but what was needed to overcome the generational gap was ‘not an advice, but sympathy’.

‘Cyber Family (www.wellageing.com) Program began back in 2004. It was designed to destroy the negative prejudice of the relationship between the adolescents and the elderly. Anyone can post their articles and answers, but six schools decided to ‘stay as a virtual member.’ These include Gamman and Manduk Middle School in Busan, Gohyun Middle school in Gyeongnam, Pogok Middle School in Gyeonggi, Hwasan Middle School in Jeonnam, Japan Osaka Keonguk Middle School and the Busan branch of the National Health Insurance Corporation. They had an off-line festival when they first met face to face beyond the internet. The clue of the conversation was closer than our thoughts.
Hyunchoong Paek choong@busanilbo.com

2007 Namhae ACAP Logo Concept

The logo symbolizes the Namhae Grand Bridge to depict the active aging of Namhae people.

The blue suspension line begins from the figure of an old couple and connects island to island, province to province, and nation to nation.

The green color portrays the vibrant nature of Namhae and the red color represents the vitality of active aging

In summary, the design embraces the nature, people, and the symbol of Namhae(the Grand Bridge) in a holistic harmony.

Cyber Family Book

We are more than happy to announce the publication of the Cyber Family Book in Korea. The Book includes all the materials posted on the website at http://www.wellageing.com/. The Cyber Family Program is regarded as a great contributor to the intergeneration of the adolescents and the seniors.
This book is available in Korean version. The following is the description of the book.

Cyber Family is a practical program for intergeneration as a new family model in the digital era.
It has encouraged the seniors who have lived through analogue era to extend their love and warmth to the adolescents in the digital era who have had no experience of such feelings.
In the Cyber Family Space (www.wellageing.com), there is a strong sympathy on the chaotic identity between the adolescents and the seniors. It has changed both the negative prejudice of the seniors through various activities of the elderly and the adolescents, helping them to overcome their weaknesses and inner chaos through continuous love and caring support from the seniors.
Cyber Family went offline in July, 2006 and it gave a chance to face-to-face interaction whose impact and love still flows online today. The model was favorably received not only in Korea, but also by the SeniorNet in the US, the Active Aging Network in the US as well as in Japan, China and Korea.
The participating schools and organizations include;
1. Pogok Middle School
2. Hwasan Middle School
3. Gohyun Middle school
4. Gamman Middle School
5. Manduk Middle School
6. Japan Osaka Keonguk Middle School
7. Busan Branch of the National Health Insurance Corporation
8. Senior Members of Wellageing

It took a great deal of not only our own effort, but also our network that supported us more than we expected. We sincerely thank every one who participated in the program and would like to acknowledge their strong encouragement. Thank you so much and let us make wellageing worldwide!

Elder Abuse Content Development

The Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly has developed the contents on the Elder Abuse. This will provide the information on the elder abuse for those suffering from a disease and their family. The content is included in Doumnara Content operating under the Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion (KADO).

KADO, Doumnara Content Demonstration
[Digital Times 2006.October 31]
Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion (KADO) held a demonstration ceremony on the 30th of October. During the ceremony, KADO (CEO Yeonki-Son, www.kado.or.kr) demonstrated its Doumnara Content (www.itall.or.kr) development and pledged for the customer satisfaction.
The content includes; △ Leisure Culture △ Social Work Promotion-9 contents related to the challenged people, △ Elder Abuse △ Medical Encyclopedia △ Family-7 contents related to the elderly, and transportation system(Both) which account to 17 in total(new 5 contents, complementary 12 contents). Those contents will be available through Doumnara from the 6th of November.
During the “Customer Satisfaction Pledge,” 10 related organizations- namely the Korea Association for the Mentally Retarded (CEO Yeonchang-Bae) and Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly (Director. Donghee Han) - joined the ceremony.
`Doumnara’ is a special portal site for the challenged and the elderly which was initiated in November, 2002 to provide practical information online freely without local, economical, physical limitation.
[Hwa Young Sim]

"Second World Elder Abuse Awareness Day"

International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse will hold the Second World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in Geneva, Switzerland. As the Korean Representative of the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, our institute will join the event by commemorating the day in cooperation with the Busan Metropolitan City on June 15.
The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day celebrated "The First World Elder Abuse Awareness Day" on June 15, 2006 at UN Headquarters, New York. The institute joined the event by holding the ceremony titled “My World, Your World, Our World- Free of Elder Abuse” on the same day at KT Building in Busan, Korea.

" The 100th anniversary of Alzheimer’s disease "

2007 marks the 100th anniversary of Alzheimer’s disease. Many works have been done to cure this disease, but it was not enough to support for those daunting number of the Baby Boom Generation.
International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics have issued the statement on Alzheimer’s disease to raise awareness on the issue as well as assess what have been done and have to be done in face of the aged society. In light of this movement, the Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly will promote its Social Drama which describes the affect of dementia on the patient and her family caused by Alzheimer’s disease. 2007 is the turning point for our institute, too. The 2007 Namhae Active Aging Conference in Asia Pacific is to be held from May 16(Wed) to 18(Fri) and we’re happy to hold our conference at this important time.

Adieu 2006

Adieu 2006
Our institute has done lots of works this year.
Inside, we have developed many programs for active aging and empowerment for older people such as Social Drama, Contents on Prevention of Elder Abuse and Re-designing Program for older person, informatization of the elderly, Dementia Support Program for Dementia Family, and Cyber Family Program which is really precious one for our wellaging.
Abroad, we held Active Aging Forum as well as introduced Namhae as a Healthy City in the 2nd General Assembly and Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities. Also, we visited SeniorNet in the USA and decided to cooperate for creative Senior Culture on the internet. Moreover, we are currently preparing 2007 Namhae Active Aging Conference in Asia Pacific as the Secretariat Office. We appreciate all your kind concern and continuous encouragement with all our heart. We wish great blessing from God on 2007 for all of our valuable supporters. We sincerely wish you a Happy New Year and promise to do our best for wellaging in this world.

2006 December 20th Yeonje Silver College

Yeonje Silver College in Gyeongsang National University reached the end of semester.
80 old people in Yeonje-gu and the Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly have had class in Yeonje Silver College through Senior Re-designing Program from March to December this year.
Senior Re-designing Program is the program to help the seniors to find information in the cyber space to find the way for them to engage in social participation actively.
Also, it aims to help the seniors to realize the old age is the second life time to try new challenge through the program and prepare themselves for their second life.
The program progress helps the elderly to change their negative concept of society, and family as well as the uneasiness of his or her intrinsic & extrinsic change.
Besides social issues, they are encouraged to discuss how they feel about Senior Culture, develop relationship with their family and neighbors, and have positive attitude and active thinking on the environments around them.
Also, they learned passionately in the fact that aging in the informatization era is not calamity but opportunity to have a chance for society participation.
Especially, some of them felt happy by sending their family greetings and congratulation card via e-mail, giving an advice to the adolescents on the bulletin board at our Wellageing website.
We hope for all of the students in Yeonje Silver College who put Active Aging in practice this program for the past year that the program has helped design a new lifestyle.

Research in Namhae

December. 12
Many officials in Namhae are putting their effort together on various training program and necessary arrangements to hold the 2007 ACAP successfully. Hence, Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly has conducted education meeting with them to let them know of the idea and strategy of Active Ageing.

December. 15
Health&Welfare Center in Namhae and Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly has arranged a research on a group of preliminary seniors(ranging from 40-64) who are about to enter legally senior age about their satisfaction level and attitude toward Namhae.
This survey will be a groundwork for more pratcical approach to making Namhae the best healthy city.

Press Release

[Namhae] Healthy City Namhae Project Fully Underway
[Yonhap News 2006-11-28 15:05]
- Namhae-gun held ‘active aging in Namhae’ symposium with national professionals
WHO Healthy City Namhae held ‘Making Namhae a Healthy City’ symposium in Namhae Culture & Health Center on 28th at 10 a.m. Governor of Namhae Youngje- Ha and Yeongtae-Kim, the speaker of Namhae County, along with health professionals and 300 villagers filled the center. This symposium was arranged to cope with the ageing society and promote health industry in Namhae as a longevity region. The theme of the symposium was ‘Active Aging in Namhae’ and there were lots of heated discussions, lectures, and presentations among the national professionals.
During the symposium, many scholars gave their lectures on the issue. Among them were Kwanguk-Ko, a professor of Kosin University, titled ‘Aging and Health’; Donghee-Han, a director of Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly, titled ‘Vision and Project for Active Aging in Namhae’; Haesung-Nam, a professor of Chungnam University, titled ‘Effect of Health City’; Kunyeop-Kim, a professor of Konyang University, titled ‘Barometer of Healthy City’.
Also there were presentations by Jungdal-Park, a director of agriculture technology center, titled ‘Healthy City and Longevity Region Promotion in Villages’; Cheolho-Lee, a chairman of Health City Organizing Committee, titled ‘Medical Side on Ageing’; Jongpyeo-Lee, a congressman of Namhae, titled ‘Security and Independence for the Elderly’; Moonsan-Park, a president of silver university in Namhae, titled ‘Silver Participation’
Following the symposium, social drama was held in Namhae Culture&Health Center at 2 p.m. by the members of senior club from Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly. There was discussion time after the performance among the participants on the solution to the problem of dementia and dementia family.

Namhae was appointed WHO Healthy City in July, last year. It has promoted various Health Campaign to make ‘Health Barometer’ akin to the regional trait. One of them was ‘No Smoke Village Campaign’, which was favorably received nationally and internationally.
It also plans to hold ‘2007 Namhae Active Ageing Conference in Asia Pacific(ACAP)’ to make concrete policy for the ageing society and raise its international status next year.

Creating the senior IT club

There was a club which is senior IT volunteerism Wellageing Metro. It is from wellageing from LG Metrocity Apartment. The Wellageing IT center has tried to do informatization for older person. After learning how to use of computer, the member of senior IT members will do a lot of works for own their community by themselves. It will be a good culture for seniors to be participants and social integration in healthy city.

Date : 1, December, 2006

Visited Kohyun Middle School, We are Cyber Family.

The aged in wellaging of the Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly called at the Kohyun Middle School, the Cyber Family, which placed in Namhae gun of Gyeongsangnam do Province on 28, November, 2006.

Both the aged and the student of the Kohyun were looking forward to seeing each other.

All the students of the school, 59 persons, received visitors, 20 persons gleefully and they had a good time with the aged in their school library.

They embraced each other with tearful eyes because of glad meeting and engaged in animated conversation. It was so impressive!

It was so wonderful day, because of their love, not the online on the site but the offline meeting. Also, It was more meaningful in that they had strong solidarity.
We hope that everyone have a continuous talk that we couldn't have while on the internet.

We offer the student and teachers of the Kohyun Middle school my heart and felt thanks for your hearty welcome.

Performed Social Drama for the Dementia Family with invitation of Namhae gun

We had a good and healthy time through the program named social drama for the dementia family in Namhae gun culture & health center on 2p.m, 28, November, 2006.

The actor presented the social drama for the dementia family successfully as professional actors although they were tired due to long trip. The actor have been performing since 1999, and they are senior club members of Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly.

Both elderly of Busan and Namhae had a precious time to understand family situation with dementia family. There were lots of discussions about family problem and family solidarity. There were no more different emotions between older person in rural and urban region. It was really meaningful time to introduce program about social drama in Namhae.

The 2nd Meeting of Dementia Family

We held the second meeting of dementia caregiving on 24, November, 2006.
We had the second round table to encourage dementia family. It started from last year. It has brought us a warm and full understanding as well as consciousness of dementia elderly and family.
This year, there were three speakers who talked about their own experience taking care of dementia parents who had already died. They all cried a lot while talking their experience with regret and missing their own parents. We know how difficult it is to care of own their parents at home. It was really great time to all.
We should have given a lot of understanding about not only dementia processes but also phenomena in regard to a variety of aging-related diseases. Thank you for all participants and especially three speakers for giving a precious chance.

The Notice of 2nd Meeting of Dementia Family

We will have the second meeting of dementia caregiving in this year. It was very supported and we shared information and emotional support from meeting of dementia family. In this year, we invited two caregivers who cared for dementia parents. We also invited community nurse for dementia patients. This program prepared for prevention of elder abuse and mistreatment without knowledge and information easily.

There will be discussion of gerontology among the older, middle ages and experts.

Date: November 24, 2006 (pm 2:00- 4:00)
Place: LG Metro APT Meeting Hall

Press 4

[u Clean] Silver Cyber Mentor
We’re living in Internet-③We’re Cyber Family
[Moneytoday 11.03 (Fri)]
“I realize the seniors who have a lot of experience in life can play a mentor role for the adolescents through the Cyber Family Program. Although Internet can have negative effect on the adolescents, I’ll create the cyber space with warm humanity.”
Says Dr. Donghee Han, a director of Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly that runs the program ‘Cyber Family’
Dr. Han initiated ‘Cyber Neighbor’ Program in 2004 to defy the negative image of the senior by the communication with the adolescents when she directed Silver Informatization Training. The result fared well. With positive response and ardent interest from both the senior and the adolescent, ‘Cyber Family” Program was derived from ‘Cyber Neighbor’ Program to make new cyber family model for the intergeneration in the cyber space. National Youth Commission supported the program in accordance to hold the off-line Cyber Family Meeting Festival in 2006.
　 Currently, 15 silver instructor play a mentor role for the students from 7 schools. In addition, Japan Osaka Keonguk Middle School students also participated in the event. Also, the workers from National Health Insurance Corporation played “Cyber Father” role, and teachers from 7 schools took a role of “Cyber Teacher”. As a whole, Three generations were integrated by the online.
　Dr. Han says, “Internet is the useful source which allows the adolescents to share their problems honestly what they can’t tell their family, and for the seniors to post their encouraging reply with their experience in life thus creating the humanism in the digital world.” emphasizing that “Many adolescents are exposed to the side effect of the internet. But with this program, they can realize the valuable meaning of the family and use it as a positive tool for their lives.”
　 “Cyber Family’ Program attracts a great interest from abroad, too. It drew a positive reaction from America, Japan, and China.
　 Dr. Han remember the message posted by the college student saying that she visited site again a year after graduating from high school when she posted her problems on the bulletin board. Dr. Han hopes this program will become ‘the Resting Place’ for everyone participated on the website so they can visit the website even after a considerable span of time.

Press 3

[u Clean]Seventeens to Seventies, “Now you’re talking”
[ We’re living in Internet-③We’re Cyber Family]
[Moneytoday2006.11.02 (Thu)]

"Hello. I’m a Seongji high school student and I’ve attended high school for a year.I like music so I’ve began piano lesson since last year. And the thing is that there’s very smaller time to play the piano after going to high school. I want to go to music school but my parents oppose the idea and my school environment is far from music. I did think about quitting school to study music only to find it too impractical. What should I do now?"(Seongji high school student, Da-hyeop, Kim)




　" Da-hyeop, you seem to have pretty big problem. I could understand how much you liked the piano through your writing. I’d support your idea if you had special talent and many years of experience. But, it seems to me that you started piano lesson too late. I want you to think about your talent in piano as well as your passion. Furthermore, your parents’ support and teacher’s counseling have to be considered before you make your own decision. I hope you can be clear and objective on this matter. "( Cyber Grandfa Jung-soo, Lee)




This is the conversation between grandfa in Busan and a student in Seongji high school in Gyeonggi Province. Although they don’t even know their faces, their conversation is more warm and serious than the one between a real grandfa and grandson.



　 ‘Cyber Family Bulletin Board’(http://www.wellageing.com) run by the Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly is the space for true intergeneration between old people in sixties or seventies and the adolescents.






　 ‘Cyber Family’ Program aims to make warmer digital world through the dialogue among the adolescents and the elderly with silver members in sixties to seventies as well as the students from 7 middle&high school nationwide. Students post their problems or stories to share with the seniors who kindly post their message in response.



◇" We’re Family through the internet"
　 Are seventeen can talk with seventies even though they don’t even know their faces? The answer is yes. Rather, if we take a closer look at the dialogue between the seniors and the adolescents we can find it more intimate than that between friends.



"Dear.In-Young and Byeol in Hwasan Middle School
You two are quite good friends for each other. Talk with your friend whenever there’s something uncomfortable otherwise the misunderstanding estranges you. Friendship can be undermined with time. Good friend is invaluable. Even if you can’t see what it means now, you shall when you get into the world. I hope you two can be friends forever." (Cyber Grandfa Kyuyeol-Kim)




" Reading your message, I think I gotta sort out all the misunderstanding. I’ll be friend with Byeol forever. Thank you. " (In-Young, Roh, Hwasan Middle School)




" Thank you for your concern. We sometimes make
a mistake and hate each other, but we’re still friends. Don’t worry about us. I’ll keep your advice in mind. Thanks. " (Seo-Byeol, Hwasan Middle School)




　 Seniors even play a role of life counselor which cannot be played by a teacher or the parents. As a result, students posted over 1min messages on the board ranging from study problem to interest in the other sex. Sang-an Park in Seongji High School says "At first, it felt awkward to talk with the old people in the cyber space. But I started to like very thoughtful replies from them so I visit website frequently beside myself. "




　 Once in a while, computer counseling is also conducted since many silver members working on the board have background in computer-related job. So, when a student asked about how to create a homepage, they replied with professional knowledge.



◇ Cyber Humanism on-line and off-line




　 This summer, the elderly and the adolescents gathered together off-line. The ‘Cyber Family Camp’ was held in Busan for 3 days in August with 60 students including those from Japan and 30 silver members. It was memorable time for both the seniors and the adolescents. For the students, they wiped out their prejudice against the elderly. For the seniors, they understood the new trend among teenagers and found their part in them.



　 Dr. Donghee Han, a director of Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly says, “We created Cyber Family Program to generate humanism in cyber space through communication among the various generations rather than emphasizing the side effect of the internet. Adding. “I hope all the generations can spread warm digital world through this program.”

Press 2

Namhae’s `No Smoke Village’ Campaign Went Abroad

[Yonhapnews 2006.11.01 (Wed)]
Governor Yongje-Ha’s presentation in the `2nd General Assembly and Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities’ was well received
Namhae-gun participated in the `2nd General Assembly and Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities’ and presented the ‘No Smoke Village’ Campaign which was received favorably.

Governor Yongje-Ha made a presentation of the campaign and Dr. Donghee han, a director of Research of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly promoted the 2007 Namhae Active Ageing Conference in Asia Pacific to be held in Namhae next year.

And Eunju-Cho, a professor of Kosin university presented her research on stress surveyed among the officials in Namhae-gun.

Especially, ‘No Smoke Village’ Campaign drew high interest and evaluation as it distinguished itself from those of the other healthy cities.

Besides, Namhae raised its international stance by promoting its ‘Visiting Hangul Education’ and ‘Garlic Festival’. 17 national healthy cities including Namhae participated in this conference with 40 international healthy cities in West Pacific region to promote their healthy campaign and share academic exchange.

Namhae joined the international healthy cities approved by WHO in July, 2005. Namhae-gun has been promoting its ‘No Smoke Village’ Campaign in 10 villages since January, this year.