In Partnership with Ariacare Korea and Happy Connect
SK Telecom announced on April 22 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ariacare Korea and Happy Connect to provide 24/7 care for the elderly and boost the elderly care industry.
Established in August 2016, Ariacare Korea provides home and nursing care services for the elder beneficiaries of long-term care insurance who have difficulty living alone due to dementia or other geriatric disorders.
Happy Connect is a social enterprise established in April 2013 and it is currently operating joint projects with SK Telecom to support the socially disadvantaged through the use of IT devices.
SK Telecom plans to work with the two companies to develop differentiated ICT-based senior care services that provide the elderly with care at all times by combining SK Telecom’s Artificial Intelligence Care (AI Care) and Ariacare Korea’s expertise and know-how in in-home care.
SK Telecom and Happy Connect will begin providing AI Care to 200 customers of Ariacare Korea from next month. It will also provide a dedicated application that enables care workers to check the status of the seniors under their care around the clock.
Ariacare Korea plans to create one-on-one personalized senior care programs based on AI Care. In-home caregivers will help the elderly benefit from the AI Care services by teaching them how to use devices including the AI speaker NUGU.
SK Telecom expects AI Care to provide care 24/7 by filling the hours not covered by care workers such as night-time and weekends.
With the aim to support seniors living alone, SK Telecom launched AI Care as part of its Happy Community project in April 2019 in cooperation with the Association of Korean Local Governments for Social Economy and Solidarity, Korean local governments and Happy Connect. At present, AI Care is being provided to a total of around 3,200 seniors through collaboration with 14 governments.
“With today’s MOU, SK Telecom will be able to reach more seniors with cutting-edge AI Care,” said Lee Joon-ho, vice president and head of Social Value Group of SK Telecom. “Going forward, we will work closely with diverse partners to further advance our AI Care to provide breakthrough senior care services fit for the 5G era.”
“We are delighted that we will be offering differentiated care services through SK Telecom’s AI Care,” said Yun Hyung-bo, president and CEO of Ariacare Korea. “Through cooperation with SK Telecom, we will proactively respond to the rapid aging our society and varying needs of our customers.”