Farewell to 2008

As another year came to a close, RISBLE reflected upon what happened and how it endeavored to improve itself in face of a rapid aging society.
It began the year with the Internet Navigate Program, which made its first official opening in February with 20 elderly instructors. The program was designed to bridge of digital divide and practice digital aging in Korea. Following in March, the delegation consisted of the representatives of RISBLE and the Internet Navigate Instructors made a visit to AABC Center in Japan. The delegation participated in seminars to introduce the digital aging program in Korea and visited the elderly facilities in Fukuoka. To further promote its goal, RISBLE organized the educational training program, titled ‘Health Management and Re-designing Old Age through Health Website’ in association with the National Health Insurance Corporation in April. The leading national media KBS (Korean Broadcasting System) composed a documentary featuring the digital aging developed by RISBLE in May. Furthermore, the annual celebration of the 3rd World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was held on June 30. There was a special guest, Dr. Verna Scolfield, national president of New Zealand Gerontology Association. Also in September, the Korean delegation of ACAP composed of 33 members went to Shanghai to participate in the 4th Active Aging Conference in Asia Pacific. It was co worked with Shanghai International Aging Conference was filled with distinguished participants from UN, WHO, various national government agencies, academics, media, and the elderly people. At the same time, there was IT Busan Expo held in the BEXCO and the RISBLE participated in the Exhibition to promote Digital Aging in Korea. In October, the ‘2nd 1080 We’re Family Game Festival’ was held, which introduced the game as a new alternative to leisure activities for the elderly living in information era. Besides, Dr. Kathryn Braun, the professor of University of Hawaii and the president of ACAP, came to Busan along with her husband, Dr. Chris Conybeare, the professor of University of Hawaii and the professional journalist, added further support for promoting Active Aging in Korea. Two professors delivered a very valuable lecture to the government officials of social welfare in Busan. To encourage its own hard endeavors throughout the year, the RISBLE culminated the year 2008 with the 4th Meeting of Dementia Family in December. The event was co-organized with Kosin University and invited dementia families nationwide to share their stories and sympathize with others. In addition, the director of the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau Team visited the institute to observe the elderly welfare facilities in Namgu, Busan and discuss ideas for further cooperation with the RISBLE.
As always, RISBLE spent another meaningful and busy time in the year 2008 promoting the spirit of Active Aging with a new perspective, Digital Aging. This year, RISBLE pledges to continue its contribution to the creation of Active Aging society in Korea and throughout the world. Happy New Year!

2nd 1080 We’re Family Game Festival

Name : 1080 We’re Family Game Festival

Aim : To promote intimate relationship between grandparents and grandson/granddaughter by sharing an online culture and to open up a new digital leisure in which all family members, grandparents, parents and grandson/granddaughter alike, can participate and enjoy

Date : Oct, 25, Sat, 2008 13:00~17:00

Venue : Auditorium in Nam-gu City HallMain events

To promote an intergenerational model, the Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly(RISBLE) held the 2nd 1080 We're Family Game Festival in Namgu, Busan, Korea. Over 200 families gathered together and had time to share their love and enjoy memorable time. In the digital era, the family game festival opened up a new digital leisure that all family members can participate together.

The important facts learned through the festival can be summmarized as follows;

1. Development Opportunities of Digital Ageing for the Wellbeing of the Elderly : In the beginning, the possibility of online games as a new alternative for elder's leisure activities seemed to be highly unlikely. However, as the event took place and more and more elders present were enthusiastic about participating in the game, we discovered that online games can also point out a new direction for achieving Active Ageing for older persons, especially those with physical disabilities or residing in care facilities. It will greatly facilitate the pleasure as well as cheerfulness of the old people by preventing them from spending time idly in neglect.
2. Promotion of Intergenerational Activities : As digital leisure is emerging to be the new mode of pastime activities for increasingly many children and adolescents around the world, it becomes vitally important to promote cyberspace interaction between the youth and the older generation. In this respect, the online game can be a very powerful tool for intimately interactive communication.

Bearing the valuable lessons in mind, RISBLE promises to heighten our commitment and dedication to developing and disseminating Active Aging around the world.

4th ACAP in Shanghai

Host : China Shanghai
Theme : The development of old age programs
Subject : 1) Services for Elderly
2) Elderly participation in society
Date : Sept, 25- 28, 2008
Venue : Convention Center in Shanghai City
Main events : Welcome gala, Keynote speech, Workshop, Presentation of the Elderly Cultural Performance Team, Silver Product Exhibition, Exchange among representatives from 16 countries
Participating Countries : Australia, Denmark, France, Hongkong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malta, Mongolia, Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, US, China, etc.

The 4th Active Aging Consortium in Asia Pacific(ACAP) was held in Shanghai with many participants from around the world. The conference offered an opportunity for international scholars to share their ideas as a name of Active Aging. 35 delegates were sent from Korea; scholars, officers, older persons.

The new ACAP president was elected to be Dr. Kathryn Braun who is a professor of University of Hawaii. With the progress of Ageing society across the globe, the mission of Active Ageing is becoming more crucial and important. We, Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly(RISBLE), do our best to make the best practice of Active Aging for Korean society and the whole world.

The 3rd WEAAD in Korea

Korean Information Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (KINPEA) had ceremony the 3rd WEAAD in Busan Korea. In this year, there was also a big event by Ministry of Health Welfare and the National Elder Abuse Counseling Centers in Korea. It is very pleased that we all will be continually cerebrated every 15 June in every year in Korea.
The event that was hosted by KINPEA was special ceremony of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and the workshop with Dr. Verna Scolfield who is national president of New Zealand and Dr. Donghee Han who is national representative Korean INPEA. It was very meaningful time to compare situation of elder abuse issue both of societies. There were various audiences from police makers, reporters, researchers, practitioners, volunteers and older persons. There was participation, which includes not just the elderly but all members of other generations as well. There was declared right of human being for older person.
Meantime, Dr. Go Hyangshook who is KINPEA members took part in Ottawa WEAAD in 2008.

Education program for the elderly health promotion by ICT

RISBLE has conducted education program for the elderly health promotion by ICT with National Health Insurance Corporation. Particularly, the National Health Insurance Corporation has been leading role in promoting the 2008 Long-Term Care Insurance Service in Korea. Both of institution designed program to use of computer and to be empowered for older persons to get the right information by themselves at own their home. For 2 months, communication skill, exercise, information for health caring in late life, redesign later life, training ICT programs were main subject for older persons. RISBLE and NHIC will continually develop and deliver for older person to keep the healthy life in aging.

Internet Navigator

The mission of digital aging is constructed in Busan Korea. RISBLE organized Internet Navigator for older persons last Feb. They are also older person who can have various resources for their communities. They have trained for one month about IT skill and teaching method by RISBLE programs. They will teach skill how can use computer and IT culture for older person. Also they will a responsibility to keep the better life for older person in their communities. They will give a model what digital life is.

Developed Contents on the Active Ageing

The Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly has developed the contents on the Active Ageing. This will provide the information how keeps active and positive attitutes for older person in late life. We have developed Contents of Elder Abuse, Information for Food Habits in Doumnara Content operating under the Korea Agency for Digital Opportunity and Promotion (KADO). We have used them as materials for education menuals for older persons. It is very heplful to show real cases to keep the active life and positive attitude in late life for lots of older persons.

Happy New Year !!!!

RISBLE was established on March 10, 1997 as purpose of making better life for seniors. It has done the mission of Wellageing for 10 years.

All we are very proud of ourselves to spread our mission for older persons in Korea. Even though it was not easy to come hear, we recognize that working with wellageing was great experience for us. Among our programs, Cyber Family, Cyber Neighbor, Elder abuse, KINPEA, Integration older person to the informational society, Woman elderly issue with redesign later life, Workforce for the elderly, Support program for dementia patients, Systemic approach learning center for using computer for ICT have been changing older person’s image little by little. While developing programs, we found our efforts were meaningful and creative for the better life for the elderly of the elderly and by the elderly.

All things are like yesterday. We will step again for next decade. We would like to express our deep thanks to many friends, administration and supporters who have encouraged to our institute; ACAP, INPEA, Seniornet, IBM, Busan Metro City and Busan Namgu administrations and Namhae gun. We never forget our older persons who are with us for long time. We will do promise to keep our efforts with Wellageing continually. We wish great blessing from God on 2008 for all of our valuable supporters. We sincerely wish you a Happy New Year!!!

Talking about burden of caring Dementia patients

There was meaningful conference to talk and understand burden and affection about caring of Dementia patients in their family on November 28. It was the 3rd conference. In this time we tried to make social consensus how we should work together and systemically in our community with dementia in aging society. To find early signs of dementia and to catch of right diagnosis were the most precious things for families in early step.

Social drama team of RISBLE also showed a great affection and sympathy with dementia family and patient in this time. All we were spent a momentous time with lots thoughts and value. Every end of year we have had conference for supporting family, we hope it was helpful to understand what we should do with waring signs of Dementia. We again appreciated all participants and Busan government.

Opening of New Wellageing Center

We extended our IT education center to found local culture network through lifelong education. IBM supported computers setting for wellageing center. The Wellageing Center held the opening ceremony on October 18, Thursday, to celebrate the expansion of IT education centers. Many special guests including the Mayor of Nam-gu as well as the elderly participated in the event to see the progress report of Wellageing Centers and wish for the continuing development of Digital Aging through Wellageing Centers. Again we are deeply appreciated our all heart to IBM.

On-line Discussion for Three Generations

We hold “On-line Discussion for Three Generations” on a monthly basis to help close the generational gasp and lead the sound discussion culture finding the solution for various social issues. The selected topic embraces the broad point of views among three generations and participants ranging from the elderly to the adolescents join the discussion by posting their opinion on the online board at the homepage, http://www.wellageing.com/.

What's Active Ageing

Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly has been promoting Active Ageing throughout the world. The following is the introduction of the concept of Active Ageing. We sincerely hope it may help you understand the meaning and the core value of the concept, so that the Active Ageing can also spread in your community.

Active Aging

The ageing society has emerged as one of the most urgent issues in the 21st Century, increasingly becoming the important agenda for the world leaders to solve. Korea is not exempt from the worldwide mainstream, and it has exerted multi-faceted efforts to establish the regulations to prepare itself for the daunting challenge brought by the rapid ageing process. The main focus in dealing with the problems such as support, leisure, and medical aids for the elderly has primarily linked the problems with the elderly. Many countries have tried to resolve the elderly problems in social perspectives, holding the state or the institution solely responsible for tackling with what should be presumed as a more complex issue. The world slowly realized that the elderly problems cannot be resolved by one body alone, and that the task force should be based on the active attitude of the elderly themselves to aggressively resolve the problems.
Active Aging combines the concept of productive ageing and successful ageing, drawing the participation from the elderly to actively lead their old life. It does not concern with the Anti-Ageing concept, which represents physical wellbeing or body image, but the inclusive approach to empower the elderly to lead active old life, so that they can contribute to the society, not as a social burden, but social capital for their community and country. It also focuses on the age-friendly environment to help the elderly maintain their health and lead more convenient life by the technological benefit.
The detailed guideline was mentioned during the Third Active Aging Conference in Asia Pacific in Namhae, 2007, and the declaration of Namhae Active Ageing was adopted. Active Ageing has been superficially concerned with Anti-Ageing, but the concept proposed by the Active Ageing Network is to empower the elderly to maintain their psychological, physical, substantial, emotional, mental health. In summary, it encourages the elderly, who previously remained secluded or isolated from society, to continually participate in the society as an active member and social resource with rich experience and knowledge. It also helps them to maintain their physical wellbeing in local community, and offers the substantial environments so that the elderly can feel comfortable moving in the area. And it tries to build the age-friendly city which optimizes the quality of life for not only the elderly, but also the whole community. Finally, the emotional approach to change the society where the elderly is no longer abused or neglected, but encouraged to live healthy and active life with the spread of social filial piety, will be the key to promoting Active Ageing life.

MOU Agreement with Busan Techno Park

Dr. Donghee Han (Director, Research Institute of Science for the Better Living of the Elderly) agreed upon MOU with Mr. Jung Dongkeun (Director, Center for Supporting Age-friendly Industrialization of Busan Techno Park) to develop an innovative vision for aged society and work for the success of the age-friendly industry.
Both institutes will cooperate on research, idea exchange, and the negotiation of the issues involved with Ageing in Busan. It is expected to contribute to the quality of life for old persons.

○ Date : June, 25th (Mon) 11:00a.m., 2007

○ Place : Meeting Room at the Center for Supporting Age-friendly Industrialization of Busan Techno Park

The Second World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD)

Korea Information Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (KINPEA) held the 2nd World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Anniversary on June 11, Monday, 2007, following the first event in 2006. The second event was held from 10:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. on the 12th floor of the Busan Metropolitan City Hall. There were 300 participants, including many counselors and professionals from the Elder Abuse centers nationwide as well as the elders along with their family.
Particularly, the special event to mark the purple color as the token of hope for the awareness on elder abuse to be brought to light from darkness was included in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
All participants tied purple handkerchiefs around their wrists and shouted the slogan, “Moving Forward” right before the declaration of Human Rights for the Elderly, and let their handkerchiefs remain worn until the end of ceremony as the sign for the ‘Purple Movement.’
Ms. Alrene Groh, Elder Abuse Restorative Justice Resource Consultant for the Elder Abuse Response Team, presented the examples of many inevitable family conflicts caused by elder abuse and suggested restorative justice as the alternative solution. In the following session, the discussion and Q&A session followed to offer a valuable opportunity for professionals from both Korea and Canada. After the event, we received the letter of gratitude from the mayor of Kitchener, the mayor of Waterloo, and the Waterloo Regional Police. We thank them all for their kind acknowledgement. Also, we’d like to extend our sincere gratitude to Ms. Alrene Groh, for her kind cooperation as well as strong effort, and we look forward to continued exchanges and cooperation to build the society free of elder abuse.

Also, the director of the institute, Dr. Donghee Han, participated in the WEAAD 2007 “Pre-Event” Global Symposium: "Exchanges on Achievements and Future Strategies." at WHO, Geneva, from June 14-15, 2007. It was time of much worth and importance as she presented Korea’s elder abuse and human right advocacy movement to the international representatives and she established strong network with them. We promise to continue to exert our utmost to raise international awareness on elder abuse and move forward in search of the ultimate solution.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to be Held on June, 11

The event to mark the Second World Elder Abuse Awareness Day will be held on 11th of June in Busan, Korea. This is the second event following the first Korea World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June, 15, 2006. This year’s theme of the Second World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is “Moving Forward.” The event will include the celebration of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and the workshop in the Busan Metropolitan City Hall. Ms. Alren Groh, Elder Abuse Restorative Justice Resource Consultant for the Elder Abuse Response Team, will make presentation during the workshop with the title, “Restorative Justice Approach for the Elder Abuse.” Restorative Approach offers the solution of elder abuse that is the closest to Korean culture and customs, and it can be applied to other family problems such as family violence or conflicts. It also aims to find practical solution to elder abuse around the world, bringing the victims, the wrongdoer, and their communities together for collaborative harmony. We also hope the event will help raise awareness across the countries.

We’re Family - 1080 Game Festival

To promote close relationship between the first generation and the third generation, we’re planning to hold the event called ‘We’re Family – 1080 Game Festival’ on May 26, Saturday. The event is divided into two sections; online and off - line activities. The online game is planned to introduce the current game trend of teenagers to the older adults and improve positive relationship among the adolescents and the elderly. On the other hand, the off - line game will give the chance for the adolescents to understand traditional playing culture through off - line activities. We hope the event will help promote deeper understanding of each other, offering both time and space for mutual communication between them.
It is also a movement to destroy the prejudice of older persons and deliver information culture for the elderly. One of the participants posted her story on the web, saying,
“It is funny that young generation can’t take part in the on-line game festival without their grandparents.” It’s our cordial wish that the event will provide valuable moment for all the participants, combining both young and old to produce good harmony.

The End of 2007 Namhae Active Aging Conference in Asia Pacific

The Third Active Aging Conference in Asia Pacific has reached its successful closure and we would like to extend our cordial gratitude to all who participated in 2007 Namhae Active Aging Conference in Asia Pacific. Without your strong support and kind cooperation, the conference could not have turned out to be as fruitful as it is. We also highly appreciate hard effort of those who had diligently worked for the success of the event. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the institute, and we therefore consider the conference to be full of valuable meaning. We are not planning to hold a big ceremony to congratulate our 10th anniversary, but we do plan to work on several projects for the betterment of the elderly and their communities. We already have published books with the title ‘Cyber Family’ and held the Third Active Aging Conference in Asia Pacific. The current future plan includes ‘We’re Family - 1080 Game Festival’, ‘The Second World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in Korea’, and ‘the 2nd World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in Geneva.’ We hope to extend our work for improving the quality of life for the elderly and their communities as we mark the 10th anniversary of our institute, and sincerely wish the best for all who have exhibited their keen interest in Active Aging. Thank you.

2007 Namhae Active Ageing Conference in Asia Pacific

2007 Namhae Active Ageing Conference in Asia Pacific will be held from May 16 to 18, this week. The institute has worked in cooperation with the administration of Namhae and many other organizations. Also, a number of national and international professionals in gerontology have showed us their strong support and hard effort for the successful conference, which has spurred us to work even harder. Without the support and interest from all of you, we would not have been able to come this far. We’d like to extend our sincere gratitude to every one of you and cordially look forward to seeing you in Namhae with all of our heart. Thank you.

Centenarian in Namhae

This is the picture of an elderly woman whose age is 100 and currently living in the longevity region of Namhae. The four generations are living together in her house and she still maintains her grace at her age. Her 100th anniversary passed just a month ago and we congratulated her birthday. We sincerely hope many elders will live a healthy and active life in old age and work together for active ageing. From her smile, we can feel “getting older is not just bad.”

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.