A good meal for older citizens

An older woman is served a meal at an older adult center in Mapo District in Seoul on May 21. Newsis

A relative I recently met looked much livelier than when I had last seen him. When I asked him how he was doing, he said that he had started going to an older adult center in his apartment complex, where he was very satisfied with the meals they served three times a week.

Two chefs, funded by the government, visit and prepare lunch, and after the meal, a singing instructor, a stretching instructor and a blind massage therapist take turns visiting, allowing members to learn songs, stretch and receive massages. This has increased participation and revitalized the center.

He stressed that it is not the same as the old days when older people would gather to play card games and pass the time. For those who are introverted and find it burdensome to interact with other members, they can simply have their meal and leave without any issues.

Previously, he had mentioned that his spouse found it increasingly burdensome to prepare meals, and they thought they might need to move into a "silver town," or retirement homes that offer meals and health care, in a few years to solve this problem. However, they no longer mention this concern.

Seeing my relative in good spirits made me appreciate the existence of such programs. I also felt fortunate to know that solutions like this are available, as this could become an issue for me in the future. While many people have cooking as a hobby, for many others, preparing proper meals every time is a challenging task.

Experienced homemakers often say that the best meal they want is "home-cooked meals prepared by someone else," not from any high-end restaurant. The fact that breakfast services provided to residents have become a new standard for evaluating luxury apartments also reflects the difficulties of meal preparation.

Then, one can imagine how burdensome it would be for older people to prepare meals. Many skip meals or eat poorly, leading to malnutrition and deteriorating health. The problem is even more serious for those living alone.

According to statistics, 2.1 million, out of 9.5 million people aged 65 and older, live alone. With a rapidly aging population, more of them are expected to live alone, which heightens the risk of solitary deaths if they skip meals.

According to a report published by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, there is a close link between solitary death and dietary habits among older adults. Among high-risk groups for solitary death, 63.4 percent reported eating only one meal a day, while the ratio was 19.3 percent for mid-risk groups and 6.2 percent for low-risk groups. The breakdown of the community, which includes the disappearance of customs like eating together or sharing what you have cooked with neighbors, has made these older individuals the greatest victims.

The government has also recognized this issue. President Yoon Suk Yeol has promised to expand older adult centers where older people can eat together and increase the number of meal services. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced plans to gradually increase the number of meal service days at the 58,000 senior centers that are currently providing meals from 3-4 days a week to 5 days a week.

Ku Seul-y, head of the Health, Welfare and Gender Equality Team at the National Assembly Research Service, pointed out in a report that considering the physical and mental benefits of nutritious meals in old age, support for the meals should be seen as an investment rather than a benefit.

Ku also advises using various infrastructures such as community centers or local restaurants and developing region-specific services like communal dining, provision of food ingredients and grocery shopping assistance. This would help older adults find diverse ways to eat and interact within their communities based on their needs and circumstances.

Ensuring that older people can maintain their physical and mental health while residing in their communities will not only improve their quality of life but also reduce overall health care and nursing costs in society. A good meal can mean a lot, especially for senior citizens. More older adults should benefit from the meal provision programs.

The writer is finance editor at The Korea Times.