• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.13-20
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to describe the overall physical environment's features of nursing homes for Korean American elders in the United States. This investigation was conducted in Korean American nursing homes on the East Coast and in the Midwest with multiple qualitative data collection methods, such as interviews, observations, document review, and field notes. The findings of this study are as follows: 1) Although almost all respondents were unable to speak and understand English at all, most written materials in nursing homes were in only English; 2) The nursing homes were placed near or within the Korean communities; thus, it contributed to close ties with religious Korean American groups and other groups in the ethnic communities; 3) Whether the facility's physical features looked like those of a hospital or a home, many residents did not consider a nursing homes as a real home; 4) A fenced garden in the nursing home in the Midwest was the residents' favorite public space; 5) Due to being forced to room with residents who had dementia and were bedridden, they were more likely to have conflicts with their roommates and feel uncomfortable living in their room; and 6) The facilities seemed to be designed without consideration to protect residents' privacy.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.41-54
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the experience of adult Korean children who are caregivers for parents institutionalized with dementia. Methods: Participants were fourteen adult children caregivers of elders institutionalized with dementia. Data were collected through in-depth unstructured interviews with individual participants from August to November, 2012. Theoretical sampling was used to the point of theoretical saturation. Data were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's Grounded Theory Method. Results: From open coding, 67 concepts, 29 sub-categories, and 14 categories were identified. Analysis revealed that the core category of the experience of adult children caring for their parents institutionalized with dementia was 'enduring the role of a prop' consisting of four phases: initial turmoil, exploration, role adjustment, and acclimation. To manage the role of a prop, participants utilized various action/interactional strategies such as overcoming the unfamiliarity, overseeing the nursing home care, and counterbalancing the caring roles. As a result, participants experienced ambivalence towards the existence of parents with dementia, changes in family relationships, altered viewpoint towards nursing homes, and restructuring of life. Conclusion: In-depth understanding of the experience will guide nurses to promote effective interventions in order to better support the Korean family caregivers of parents institutionalized with dementia.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.450-462
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• 2017

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effects of an intervention of self-feeding for elderly residents who were eating with assistance or eating by himself/herself with spilling food. Methods: The Participants were 11 elderly people and 6 formal caregivers from 7 nursing homes in Korea. The intervention was to use the spoon and chopstick sets designed for compensating the weakened eating function. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through observation, structured questions, and in-depth interviews. Results: The mealtime was significantly increased by 3.2 minutes (p=.011) after the intervention. Three themes were extracted for the meaning of self-feeding expressed by the elders; fighting alone for self-feeding, pride of participating in the study, and burden for self-feeding and research participation. Caregivers expressed the meaning of the elder's self-feeding such as the regret of missed chances, facilitating rehabilitation, the increase of the eating pleasure and quality of care, and ambivalence. Conclusion: Self-feeding has become an opportunity to recognize life values for the elders in nursing homes; for the caregivers, to reconsider caring of the elderly. Posture and eating utensils were also important to improve self-feeding skills.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.669-679
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the reported good service experiences from the perspective of elderly residents of long-term care facilities. Methods: Of those residents who are 65 years old or older, 14 residents whose length of stay were one month or longer and scores of the K-Mini Mental State Examination were 15 or higher were interviewed. The interview data formed the basis for the empirical statements about the reported nature of patients' experiences as residents of long-term care facilities. These data were used in concept mapping. Results: Through multidimensional scaling analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, 62 core statements, two dimensions, and six clusters of good service experiences were derived. The two dimensions were classified as 'care centered-participation centered services' and as 'physical-emotional services.' Six cluster themes emerged as good service experiences: 'safety of care and treatment', 'responsible and supportive staff', 'comfort of living environment', 'mental well-being', and 'respect and communication'. Conclusion: The result of the study provides information about what experiences are important to older adults with cognitive impairment. The concept map can be used to develop a patient experience index for the elderly residents of long-term care facilities.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.418-427
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• 2015

Purpose: Focus group interviews were conducted to explore the current status and barriers of health care services in nursing home from the viewpoint of staffs taking care of nursing home residents. Methods: A qualitative thematic analysis using the focus group interview method was used. A total of 32 health care professionals (19 nurses and 13 social workers) from thirteen nursing homes in South Korea attended (5 focus groups) in 2014. Results: The two main themes were identified: 'minimal health care services that left personal care needs unmet' which has three subthemes of 'stereotyped and fragmented care by types of care providers', 'medically-oriented health care services' and 'health care services mixed with social or recreational programs'; and 'barriers to proper and timely care in nursing homes' with four subthemes including 'unmet care needs due to cognitive dysfunction or lack of expression', 'care guides or tools not suitable for long-term care facilities', 'health care needs that are beyond the facility's care boundary', and 'care delay due to lack of understanding on the older adult's status'. Conclusion: The findings from this study should help health care policy makers to recognize the factors that influence health care services and provide direction for nurses and other staffs involved in supporting health care services for nursing home residents.