• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.57-68
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• 2000

This study has been performed to review critical issues affecting continuous residence in profit(self-paid) assistant living facilities for the elderly in the United States. There are three factors influencing continuous residence of frail elderly in the facilities as long as they want without involuntary discharge : Financial ability, behavioral aspects, and facility management situation. Regarding financial ability, income, purchase of insurance policy, cashable assets, willingfulness to pay, and health status were found to be crucial determinants of continuous residence. Overall, 40-50% of those aged 65+ are financially able to stay in the assistant facilities as long as they want, without involuntary discharge. As for behavioral aspects, extroversions, congeniality, culture & life style, conscientiousness, preference for person, and physiological habits were found to be crucial determinants of continuous residence. As for the management situation, it is essential that facilities reach nature level of self-governing rights of the older residents and good local images, and conflicts among the residents and managing parties be resolved on the agreeable standards of inspectors. finally in this study, it is proposed that in Korea, national pension authority offer a liability package for assistant residence, for the case of individual bankruptcy.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.201-207
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• 2000

This study was performed to assess the nutritional status of nursing home residents and to assess the effect of nutrition intervention. The subjects were 123 people aged over 60 years from 5 different nursing homes. The nutrition intervention study was carried out by supplementing their diet with multivitamin-minerals for 2 months. The mean intakes of most nutrients did not meet the RDA, Though the nutrient content of the menus provided by the facilities were satisfactory. Nutrients of which intakes fell below 75% of the RDA were protein, Ca, Fe, vitamin A vitamin B$_1$, and vitamin B$_2$. The BMIs of male and female subjects were 22.0kg/$m^2$ and 24.6kg/$m^2$ and the WHRs were 0.92 and 0.90, respectively. The percentage of subjects with hypertention (BP$\geq$140/90mmHg) and with anemia(Hb$\leq$13mg/100$m\ell$ in men, Hb$\leq$12mg/100$m\ell$ in women) were 34.6% and 41.9%, respectively. The serum cncentrations of albumin, total protein, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and total lipid fell within normal ranges. However, 27.5% of the subjects showed a high serum cholesterol level of over 250mg/100$m\ell$. The concentration of C3 was 81.2mg/100$m\ell$, IgG, 1343mg/100$m\ell$, and IL-2, 0.766mg/$m\ell$. after 2 months of vitamin-mineral supplementation, the levels of blood glucose and total cholesterol were significantly decreased and triglyceride was significantly increased. The vitamin-mineral supplementation had no effect on the mean levels of vitamin A and E, IgG, IL2, and C3. However, the intervention resulted int he improvement of serum vitamin A and E levels when the subject\`s serum levels were low before the supplementation.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.321-327
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• 2022

Background: To implement medication management service in Korean nursing home (NH), medication review tool for residents in Korean long-term care facilities was developed. This prospective pilot study aimed to verify the applicability of this newly developed tool and to evaluate the drug related problems (DRPs) identified by pharmacists' medication review in NH setting. Methods: This study was carried out in two NHs in Korea. The elderly residents (65 or older) using 5 or more medications were eligible. Pharmacists conducted medication review and identified the DRPs and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) based on the newly developed tool. Results: Among 43 NH residents, 27 residents agreed to participate. The median age was 87 and about 55.6% of them were taking 10 or more medications. Pharmacists identified a total of 37 PIMs in 18 NH residents (66.7%) and 54 DRPs in 22 residents (81.5%). The most frequent PIM was general-PIM (26 cases) followed by PIM under specific diseases or conditions (7 cases). Out of 77 items contained in the tool, 15 items were detected in study participants. 'Continued use or regular daily use of hypnotics' was the most highly detected item (9 cases) followed by 'multiple prescriptions within each class of hypnotics/sedatives' (5 cases). Among 54 DRPs identified, pharmacist intervened 39 cases (72.2%) and interventions were accepted in 18 cases (46.1%). Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrated that newly developed tool is feasible for the nursing home residents. However, further studies with larger population are warranted.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.7-20
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• 2023

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to assess a body of research evidence that articulates the impact of physical and environmental factors on behavioral·psychological health and quality of life for the elderly people with dementia who reside in long-term care facilities. This follow-up study of the previous literature review aims to further identify physical and environmental factors, that improve health and quality of life for the elderly people with dementia, published in recent five years and to expand the understanding of clinical outcomes as mechanism that mediate the effect of physical environmental factors on improving behavioral·psychological health and quality of life for the elderly people with dementia. Methods: Comprehensive literature review has been conducted to identify empirical studies that link the design of dementia care facilities to health- and quality of care(QOL)-related outcomes and this follow-up review scrutinized peer-reviewed articles published in recent five years (from January 2018 to December 2022), filling the gap between the previous literature review and the current state of research. Results: The review identified a growing body of literature that articulates environment-related factors that improve behavioral·psychological health and quality of life for the elderly people with dementia living long-term care facilities. Implications: The findings of the review can be translated to design implications and design decisions to promote psychological and behavioral health and quality of life of people with dementia in long-term care facilities.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.71-85
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• 2007

This study investigates differences by type of caregiving using data on three groups of caregivers, 177 from home stay situations, 189 from day care centers, and 138 from nursing homes. First, the result shows that characteristics of both caregivers and elders differ by type of caregiving. Second, caregivers in the home stay situation have the highest caregiving burden of the three groups. Third, from examination of the related variables, the caregiving burden of home stay caregivers is affected by family income, caregivers' health, type of job, and whether or not the elder has symptoms of dementia. Also, the study reveals that emotional services for elders reduce the aggravation of family relations and economic burden, but that instrumental services highly increase economic burden. It reveals that caregivers of elders in day care centers, especially those who are in bad health, are more likely to experience feelings of constriction, aggravation of family relations and economic burden. On the other hand, caregivers who receive more emotional services have better experiences in family relations, including relations with the elder. In case of the elders of nursing homes, if the main caregiver is a daughter-in-law, aggravation of family relations is higher than if the main caregiver is a spouse. Finally, the caregiver's burden is affected by their own health and income, and by whether the elder has symptoms of dementia or stroke.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.493-509
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• 2013

This study investigated the sitting areas preferred to use by assisted living residents in the U.S., compared the perceptions of staff and residents, and analyzed the effects of residents' and spatial characteristics on the preference for use of main sitting areas such as lounge, dining area, activity room and outdoor area. A total of 102 participants(66 residents and 36 staff) from eight facilities in the seven counties of southern Texas were asked about two sitting areas residents like to spend time at. The results of the study were as follows: The most frequently mentioned sitting areas were the activity and outdoor area as per the residents, but the dining area and lounge as per the staff. It might be due to that the view of staff might have been limited to sitting areas usually used by the severely frail residents. Residents using higher level of mobility assistance such as wheelchairs and walkers, or living in the facility having more dispersed sitting areas were less likely to prefer to use the lounge. The residents who were younger or having good centralized outdoor area were more likely to prefer to use the outdoor area. The preference for use of dining area was affected by its proximity from the residents' individual rooms. Diverse survey methods need to be developed for a more in-depth collection and analysis of data from functionally frail older residents and staff caring for them.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.141-156
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• 2023

Background: As the population rapidly ages, older adults are increasingly likely to experience mobility problems. This study aims to explore the characteristics related to an elderly person's willingness to live in a nursing home if they have mobility problems Methods: This study analyzed data from 9,917 older adults (5,976 young-old and 3,941 old-old) obtained from the 2020 National Survey of Older Koreans. The dependent variable was the intended place of residence for older adults with mobility problems. Independent variables included various characteristics: (1) sociodemographic and social support, (2) health and functional status, and (3) residential environment. Rao-Scott chi-square tests and survey logistic regression analyses were performed for the young-old and old-old, respectively. Results: The intention to live in a nursing home was significantly different between the young-old (30.4%) and the old-old (34.7%) (p=0.009). According to fully adjusted multivariable analyses, for the young-old, the odds ratio of intending to live in a nursing home was significantly higher in social security benefit recipients (1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.97) compared to other individuals. The odds ratio was higher in unmarried (divorced, separated, widowed, or never-married) individuals for both young-old (1.41; 95% CI, 1.22-1.63) and old-old (1.34; 95% CI, 1.09-1.65) age groups, compared to their respective married counterparts. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that in an aging society, health and social policies should be designed considering the different characteristics of the elderly to improve their health, function, and quality of life.

• 한국노년학
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.217-240
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of care workers' employment characteristics and perception of facility directors' transformational leadership on quality of service through a hierarchical linear model. For this aim, survey data were collected amongst 240 older adults and 200 care workers who are affiliated within 45 long-term care facilities in Seoul, and analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and HLM 8.0. As a result, one's perception of transformational leadership had a positive effect, whereas, among employment characteristics, employment type and working hours had negative effects on quality of service. Regular workers with fewer working hours and higher awareness of transformational leadership toward the director provided higher quality of service. But wage, total experience and tenure didn't meaningfully affect it. Therefore, the following suggestions were presented. First, it is necessary to reorganize incentive, salary systems and budgets, changing the status of temporary workers' hourly wage system into that of regular workers' monthly one in order to strengthen employment security with acknowledging fundamental professional values through reinforcement of expertise. Reinforcement of long-term care's publicness and establishment of base facilities are also suggested. Second, maintaining appropriate hours of work and rest including annual leave under the Labor Standards Act is needed. Also, increasing the salary of and decreasing working hours for night shift workers are required. Third, education and intervention for inspiring transformational leadership of directors and strengthening qualification standards of them are required.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.235-244
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• 2020

Objectives: Gyeongsangbuk-do has entered a super-aged society with 20.7% of the population aged 65 and older. As of April 30, 2020, the death rate of COVID-19(3.8 people) in Gyeongsangbuk-do is higher than the national mortality rate (2.3 people), and the fatality rate of COVID-19 by age accounts for more than half of the total of 58.6%, so it is time to propose to prevent infectious diseases in the event of additional infectious disease disasters COVID-19. Methods: We collected daily data on the number of confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19 from 19 February to 30 April 2020. The data collected was evaluated using the SPSS 21.0 statistical package. Results: As a result of comparing the incidence and death-related factors of confirmed patients in Gyeongsangbuk-do, there were significant differences in age group (p<0.001), underlying disease (p<0.001), and residence type (p<0.033). Conclusion: Factors affecting the mortality rate of confirmed patients in Gyeongsangbuk-do have been combined with individual level factors(age, gender, underlying disease), which means individual characteristics that have existed since before the disease, and regional level factors(Type of Residence), which are external factors that enable the use of medical resources. Therefore, each local government is required to establish preventive measures considering individual and regional level factors.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.181-209
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• 2018

This study aims to examine the relationship between physical environment and depression symptoms of middle-aged and older adults in metro city. To verify correlates of community environment and depression, mediating effect model structured by social capital and sense of coherence(SOC) were used. For the purpose, a survey was conducted aged 48 - 70 from the local community centers and senior welfare centers in Seoul, and the total collected cases were 331. After data cleaning, total 309 cases were used. The structured equation modeling applied to analyse the direct and indirect effects. The findings were followed : First, the community environment did not directly affect level of depression. Second, in the indirect effect analysis, social capital was not statistically significant, thus indirect effect was confirmed only through the SOC. To be specific, the higher the satisfaction of the physical environment increased SOC, and decreased the level of depression. The results of this study shed lights on practical interventions to promote mental health of the middle-aged and older adults those who are exposed to poor community environment.