• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.213-220
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• 2007

Purpose. The purpose of this review is to explore cultural influences on the experiences of Korean, Korean American, and Caucasian American family caregivers caring for frail older adults in terms of the selection of a primary caregiver, caregiving motivation, support/help-seeking, and negative emotional responses (depression and burden). Methods. Seven electronic databases were searched to retrieve studies from 1966 to 2005. Thirty-two studies were identified. Results. This review supported cultural influences on the selection of primary caregiver, caregiving motivation, and support/help-seeking among the three caregiver groups. In Korean caregivers, the major primary caregivers were daughters-in-law while among Korean American and Caucasian American caregivers, the major primary caregivers were daughters or spouses. As a major caregiving motivation, Caucasian American care￢givers reported filial affection while Korean caregivers and Korean American caregivers reported filial obligation. Korean caregivers reported higher extended family support, while Caucasian American caregivers reported higher utilization of formal support. Korean caregivers showed the highest levels of depression followed by Korean American caregivers and Caucasian American caregivers. Conclusion. In order to develop culturally appropriate interventions and policies, more research is needed to further explain these differences among the three groups, especially regarding support/help-seeking and negative emotional responses.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.332-338
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• 2003

Objective : To investigate the relationship between medical expenses and the burden of families caring for the elderly in the last 6 months of life, and to evaluate the factors relating to the burden of family caregivers. Methods : The families of 301 persons older than 65 years, who died between 1 July and 31 December 2001, and were registered in Resident-based- Health Insurance Programs in Seoul, were interviewed. The medical expenses and length of stay among the elderly were collected from Korean Health Insurance Corporations. Results : 31 percents of the elderly had no medical expenses in the last 6 months of life. On average, the objective burden (4.92) was higher than the subjective burden (3.35). Families caring for male elderly had a higher burden. With increasing age af death, the objective burden was significantly increased. The burden on a family seemed to be influenced more by the family income than the property of the elderly. With increasing total health care costs, the objective burden on the family caregivers was significantly increased, but with increasing medical expenses, the subjective burden was significantly decreased. Conclusion : An association between healthcare utilization and burden on families was observed. The reason for the decreasing subjective burden when medical expenses were decreased was unclear. Further research will be needed.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.255-266
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• 2015

Objective : The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the Home-based Multi-component Activity Program (Home-MAP) for the maintenance activities of daily living (ADL) for patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and on caregiver burden for caregivers. Methods : Nine mild AD patients and family caregivers. The Home-MAP was performed 1d/wk, for a total of 10 times over 10 weeks. Results : After the 10 sessions, participants' motor and process skills scores on the AMPS were found to have significantly improved (p=.028 and p=.028, respectively). The BPSD frequency score on the R-MBPC was found to be significantly reduced (p=.017). The BPSD symptoms related to caregiver reaction score on the R-MBPC and distress score on the NPI-Q were significantly reduced (p=.039 and p=.018, respectively). Conclusions : The Home-MAP appears to have contributed to the improvement of patients' capabilities in performing in ADL, to a reduction of BPSD, and to a reduction of burden related to BPSD.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1117-1127
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• 2010

The aims of the study is to identify levels of burden, coping ability and health related quality of life and relationships among family caregivers who care dementia elderly using daycare center. Subjects were all major caregivers from conveniently selected 8 daycare center for dementia in a middle size city in Korea and final analyzed sample was 93. Data were collected through self-reported questionnaire from April to June, 2010. This study's results include the followings. First, the result indicated that mean score of health related quality of life among respondents was 69.34(SD 12.04). Secondly, there were significant differences in caregiver burden by age, education level, occupation and coping ability by education level and monthly income, health related quality of life by age, type of marriage, relation with dementia elderly. Finally, we can found significant negative relationships health related quality of life with caregiver burden and coping ability. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that the program about development of intervention to reduce caregiver burden and to improve coping ability should consider for advanced health related quality of life of dementia elderly's caregiver.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.683-699
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• 2009

Family caregiving to the elderly is one of the most important social issues in recent Korea. Among various kinds of family caregivers, spouse caregivers particularly constitute a special group, generally characterized by continuous intimate association with the care recipients at many levels and by special commitments and responsibilities associated with the marriage bond. And the number of spouse caregiver is expected to increase in the future. Moreover, since a conjugal relation is consisted of husband and wife, their caregiving experiences and caregiving burden may vary by gender. Thus, the present study was to examine the effect of caregiving experience, especially caregiving motivation and social support focusing on the gender differences. We analysed 「2001 Survey of Care-giving Status and welfare Needs of Older Persons in Korea」 data by performing descriptive statistics, t-test and logistic regression. As a result, we found that the husband was likely to feel more burden when he started caregiving because of few alternatives. For wife caregivers, the less awareness of social support they had, the more possibility of economic burden they felt. With these results, we suggest the necessity of having gender-sensitive perspective in research and policy making for caregivers.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.437-442
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• 2013

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of drive-assisting system in a shower carrier on the upper body muscle activities of caregivers through drivability tests. Background: In care facilities, one of the major ADL (Activities of Daily Living) factors is bathing/showering. Recently, bath/shower-assisting equipment is actively being introduced in care facilities to reduce caregivers' muscle burden. In particular, it is desirable to utilize a shower carrier equipped with drive-assisting system to effectively care for the elderly. However, there were few systematic studies on the relationship between muscle activities and drive-assisting speeds. Method: For the drivability tests to study the effects on the muscle activities according to the drive-assisting speeds(corresponding drive-voltages: 0.0V, 2.0V, 2.1V, 2.3V), 6 females in their 40s($43{\pm}4yrs$, $157{\pm}5cm$, and $54.5{\pm}1.5kg$) were selected. To measure muscle activities of caregivers through drivability tests, 7 muscles in the upper body(TM/Trapezius Muscle, DM/Deltoid Muscle, BBM/Biceps Brachii Muscle, TBM/Triceps Brachii Muscle, ECRLM/Extensor Carpi Radialis Longus Muscle, FCUM/Flexor Carpi Ulnaris Muscle, and ESM/Erector Spinae Muscle) were selected. Results: In the TM, muscle activities were decreased as 21% compared to 0.0V, when drive-voltage 2.0V was applied, as 57% by 2.1V, and 62% by 2.3V(p<0.05), whereas 40%, 56%, and 69% of muscles activities were decreased respectively from the DM(p<0.05). Also, from the UL(BBM+TBM+ECRLM+FCUM), muscle activities were decreased by 17% with 2.0V as against 0.0V, by 47% with 2.1V, and 52% with 2.3V, whereas decreases in muscle activities from the ESM were found by 20%, 34%, and 42% respectively by 2.0V, 2.1V, and 2.3V(p<0.05). Conclusion: The muscle activities were decreased in the order of the DM, TM, ESM, and UL. As muscle activities were remarkably reduced as drive voltage were increased, it was expected to reduce the upper body muscle burden on the caregivers when using shower carriers equipped with driving-assist system. Applications: The results from this study can be applied for the development of a shower carrier including other equipment to possibly reduce the muscle burden of the caregivers.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.914-923
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• 2007

Purpose: This qualitative study aimed to identify the common, lived experiences of grandmothers who cared for their grandchildren as the primary caregivers. Methods: This study was based on the phenomenological method described by Colaizzi (1978). Results: Seven theme clusters emerged from the data as follows: "grandmother caregivers accept the parenting role of the incessant responsibilities and the distrust of non-kin caregivers.", "grandmother caregivers have a double maternal roles; an instrument-oriented maternal role to their own child and relationship-oriented maternal role to their grandchild.", "grandmother caregivers are partially authorized to make decisions in the matters of their grandchild.", "grandmother caregivers suffer a deterioration in their health by an acceleration of the aging process.", "caregiving causes grandmother caregivers to feel a sense of social isolation, and persue various coping strategies to control this feeling.", "grandmother caregivers have a greater feeling of self-esteem, but they often conflict with their adult children if they don't feel appreciated by them.", "grandmother caregivers have limited social support and their health issues are often overlooked in the family context.' Conclusion: The results of this study can guide nurses and health care workers to understand the experiences of grandmother caregivers and to implement individualized nursing interventions suited for them.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.159-167
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• 2016

Purpose: This article provides an overview of current knowledge on the impact of caregiving on the psychological and physical health of family caregivers of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors and suggestions for future research. Methods: Review of selected papers published in English between January 2000 and October 2015 reporting psychological and physical health outcomes in family caregivers of ICU survivors. Results: In family caregivers of ICU survivors followed up to five years after patients' discharge from an ICU, psychological symptoms, manifested as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, were highly prevalent. Poor self-care, sleep disturbances and fatigue were identified as common physical health problems in family caregivers. Studies to date are mainly descriptive; few interventions have targeted family caregivers. Further, studies that elicit unique needs of families from diverse cultures are lacking. Conclusion: Studies to date have described the impact of caregiving on the psychological and physical health in family caregivers of ICU survivors. Few studies have tested interventions to support unique needs in this population. Therefore, evidence for best strategies is lacking. Future research is needed to identify ICU caregivers at greatest risk for distress, time points to target interventions with maximal efficacy, needs of those from diverse cultures and test interventions to mitigate family caregivers' burden.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.627-640
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• 2015

Purpose: The objective of this systematic review was to assess the effects of family support programs on caregiving burden, depression, and stress in family caregivers of people with dementia. Methods: A literature search was conducted of electronic databases to identify randomized controlled studies with family support programs done between 2000 and 2014. Studies published in English and/or Korean were included for the analysis with search strategies adapted from the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group. Studies were rated for quality assessment by two independent reviewers using the appraisal checklist developed by Cochrane Reviews and Dissemination. Of 8,334 articles identified in the literature search, full texts of 76 articles that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed and 38 were found to include relevant outcomes. Results: Results from selected studies were pooled in statistical meta-analysis using Review Manager Software and heterogeneity between combined studies was assessed using the Chi-square test. Meta-analysis showed that the effect sizes of family caregiver support programs were small to medium for categories of caregiving burden (Hedge's g= - 0.17, 95% CI= - 0.30~ - 0.04), depression (Hedge's g= - 0.30, 95% CI= - 0.40~ - 0.20), and stress (Hedge's g= - 0.39, 95% CI= - 0.52~ - 0.25). Conclusion: The review results indicate that a support programs can assist family caregivers in reducing their psycho-emotional distress.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.385-396
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the status of care-giving for the demented elderly and to find out the need of community in-house care services-day care services, short-term care services, home help services, and home care services. Method: It analyzed the data of 186 old people having dementia, and caregivers. Data were collected for five days, in September 2002. Results: The caregivers were mostly women and the burden for the care giving was high (87.5%). They used community care services, that is, day care services (26.5%), home care services (21.6%), home help services 00.8%), short-term care services (6.2%). Caregivers' age and education level were significant factors in the demand for day care services. Caregivers' education level was a statistically significant factor in the demand for short-term care services and home help services. Caregivers' age and education level were significant factors in the demand for home care services. Conclusions: It is necessary to expand the financial aid for the active implementation of daytime protection for dementia-patients under medical treatment at home and to promote patients' recovery. It is necessary to enhance home help services and home care services, and to establish many day care centers and short term care centers. Through this, it will prevent caregivers from becoming burnt out due to the burden of care giving.