• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2013

Problems of housing, healthcare, social exchanges, and lonely feelings of vulnerable social groups such as the elderly living alone in rural and fishing villages should be resolved by guaranteeing minimum residential rights and levels to restore the sense of self-esteem and social stability and to maintain the rural communities and these should be the object of social interest and support. The housing problems of rural and fishing villages should be resolved not through supply to meet demand but by beginning with providing the ways to attain mutual interaction through the program that recognizes housing as merit goods to maintain the regional communities This research examines more minutely the problems caused by poor housing conditions of rural and fishing villages and attempts to present rural and fishing village type community living home as an alternative through regeneration. The results of this research are as follows. First, the administrative support system should be built to support the community living home in its beginning, process, completion, and even post management. Second, education for reinforcing capabilities to help understand the community living home should continually conducted on the occupants, villagers, and related organizations. Third, in order to expand the community living home, research and development should be made so that the zero-energy house, the alternative energy utilizing house, etc. can be widely used. In building community living home for vulnerable social groups in rural and fishing villages, practical alternatives suitable to the regional realities should be presented and practiced so that the community living home can be built to the satisfaction of all the villagers and the occupants, and the improvement measures should be presented through constant interest and monitoring.

• 전자공학회논문지 IE
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.55-61
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• 2009

This paper describes an assistant system for elders who live alone. The developed system is composed of a wearable RFID system, a gateway system, and server system. The wearable RFID system is installed in glove. The wearable RFID system can be considered as a wireless sensor network which has a sink node and sensor node with a RFID reader. The sensor node can read RFID tags on the various objects used in daily living such as furniture, medicines, sugar and salt bottles, and ok. The sensor node transmits wireless packets to the sink node. The sink node sends the received packet immediately to a server system via a gateway system. The gateway provides users with audio-visual information of objects. The server system is composed of a database server and a web server. The data from each wearable RFID system is collected into a database, and then the data are processed to visualize the measurement of daily living activities of users. The processed data can be provided for someone who wants to know about user's daily living patterns in house such as family, caregivers, and medical crew.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.57-68
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• 2017

Objectives: This study was performed to build the predictive model of suicidal ideation of elderly men living alone. Methods: As for the subject, 251 subjects suitable for the selection criteria were selected among elderly men living alone above 65 years old in one region in Gyeongnam and three regions in Gyeongbuk. The data were collected via questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 and Amos version 18.0. Results: The goodness-of-fit test result of hypothetical model were suitable for recommended level: ${\chi}^2/df=1.47$, RMR=.04, GFI=.92, AGFI=.90, CFI=.95, IFI=.95, RMSEA=.04. Self-esteem, individual coping, family cohesion, social support, social activity, and depression explained 55% of the model of suicidal ideation. The most influential direct factor of suicidal ideation was self-esteem, and social isolation was the most influential indirect influence on suicidal ideation. Conclusion: To sum up the above results, if we promote the researched variables of self-esteem, family cohesion, social activity, individual coping and social support in addition to developing and utilizing an efficient customized suicidal prevention nursing intervention program thereby reducing depression and social isolation, suicidal ideation of elderly men living alone would be prevented.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.66 no.3
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• pp.101-131
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to develop, and test the effects of a group program on the subjective well-being and depression of the low-income depressed elderly women living alone. Conceptual framework was based on the positive psychotherapy and a broad range of intervention techniques of the solution focused therapy was integrated into the program by using assimilative integration methods. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent comparison group design was used to test the effects of the program. The newly developed group program was implemented to the intervention group and a reminiscence group program was implemented to the comparison group for 10-session. And no intervention group received only home-based routine care services as usual. Results suggested that the newly developed program was effective in increasing the level of subjective well-being, and decreasing the depressive symptoms of the low-income depressed elderly women living alone. It was also proved that the newly developed program maintained its gains up through 11-week follow-up.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.571-582
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effects of a 12-week metabolic syndrome BeHaS (Be Happy and Strong) program in elderly people with metabolic syndrome living alone, based on a community-based participatory research (CBPR). Methods: A nonequivalent control group pre-posttest design was used, and the participants were 43 elderly people living alone (experimental group 24, control group 19). The experimental group received a one-hour program per week and two individual health consultations during 12 weeks. The control group received two sessions about the metabolic syndrome and two individual health consultations. The effects of health behavior, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, abdominal circumference, triglycerides, and self-esteem were evaluated. The data were analyzed using the independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The health behavior with respect to the metabolic syndrome in the experimental group increased significantly (t = - 3.19, p = .002). Both diastolic blood pressure and abdominal circumference decreased in the experimental group (t = 2.00, p = .028 and t = 3.91, p < .001). No significant differences were observed between the groups in systolic blood pressure, fasting blood sugar levels, triglycerides, and self-esteem. Conclusion: The 12-week metabolic syndrome BeHaS program using community resources improves the health of elderly people with metabolic syndrome living alone. Based on these findings, further studies on the effectiveness of the metabolic syndrome BeHaS program and the experiences of those who participated in the CBPR are warranted.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.121-128
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• 2015

The elderly rate in South Korea in 2013 is over 12%. Especially, the elderly rate in rural area is 36%, i.e., in rural area, one of three is people aged 65 and over. Senior community project in rural that is being promoted by the government. This project is to improve the quality of life health and welfare services for the elderly in rural Area. This paper investigates cases used as living space by interview and remodeling senior centers (village community center) for the elders living alone in rural areas. In Gimje two the nation's first senior centers were remodeled in 2006 (for both the village community center) and were begun to use these as group homes. Evaluation was a success. Since then, these were increased by approximately 20 centers per year by year and are currently 108 centers at the end of 2011. In Chungcheongnam-do, a pilot project has been begun for communal living by remodeling the senior center (for both the village community center) and elderly housing. Municipalities are similar in their business (is mostly). Senior community center projects can proceed smoothly in the direction of some of the following tips and suggestions to promote. Senior community center should be expanded for 'private room type'. Government must support the operating costs. It will increase employment in rural areas. Senior community center should be 'Home Atmosphere'.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.251-259
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• 2017

Purpose: This study aims to examine the influence of vitamin D and calcium on depression and cognitive function of the elderly living alone in a city. Methods: The participants were registered in eight senior centers in S city and they had lived alone. Data were collected between November 28, 2014 and March 7, 2015. A total of 155 people participated in data collection to measure the serum vitamin D, the serum calcium, depression, and cognitive function. The data were analyzed with t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results: There were significant differences in depression according to gender and perceptions of health status. Depression correlated significantly with the serum calcium and perceptions of health status, and a stepwise regression analysis showed that the perceptions of health status were significant. There were significant differences in cognitive function according to education level and age. Cognitive function correlated significantly with the serum vitamin D and a stepwise regression analysis showed that education level and age were significant. Conclusion: Consequently, elderly people with poor perceptions of their health status need a depressive intervention program and those with a higher age and lower level of education need a cognitive function intervention program.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.610-621
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• 2017

Medical cost for elderly is increasing with ageing society and putting more and more burden on both individuals and government. To find a solution to reduce medical cost among elderly and to propose implication/suggestion to central government and a local government, different degree of medical cost burden by type of household and factors that affect increased medical cost are investigated based on elderly in Suwon city in this article. According to the research result, 59.3% of respondents felt medical cost burdensome. Also, according to the multiple regression performed to understand factors that increases medical cost by type of household, subjectively felt health status was found to be a statistically significant factor commonly in three groups which are living household with adult child, living household with spouse only, living household alone. And the degree of medical cost was higher in living household with spouse only, more higher in living household alone. And socioeconomic status and health status, health status, and health status and private insurance, medical security system were found to be significantly related to medical cost burden to household type of the elderly.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.256-264
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• 2016

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the diet and health status of elderly women according to the family type. Methods: A total of 307 elderly women participated in this study were divided into one of three groups according to their family type: residing with spouse (RSP; n=88), residing with son or daughter (RSD; n=119), and residing alone (RAL; n=100). Chisquare test was used to assess dietary habits and health status of the subjects by the family types. Results: Results demonstrated significant associations between eating regular meals, person preparing meals, coffee intake, and bone fracture experience and family type. Among the three groups, the RSP and RAL groups had a higher percentage for preparing meals by themselves (p<0.001) than the RSD group. The RAL group had a lower percentage for eating regular meals (p<0.01) but a higher percentage for bone fracture experience (p<0.05) than the other groups. There were no significant differences in monthly allowance, self-estimated health status, physical activity, exercise, drinking, and dietary habits such as frequency of consumption of dairy, beans, eggs, fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables among the three groups. Conclusions: The results showed that elderly women residing alone without a son, daughter, or spouse had more diet-related and health problems such as irregular meals and high bone fracture experience. These findings suggested that elderly women residing alone need more attention and support.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.759-771
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of life in near-poor elderly living alone and experiencing depression. We focused on their lived experiences so that we could understand the essential structure of what kind of life they live. The eligible population included those aged 65 or older, showing 9 points or higher in the Korean form of Geriatric Depression Scale (KGDS), currently living alone for more than 1 year, having no problems of communication difficulties, and nationally defined as a near-poor group. A purposive sample of 8 seniors enrolled in s mental health welfare center in Incheon Metropolitan City were recruited. The phenomenological approach suggested by Colaizzi was used. Data was collected from May 2018 to October 2019 through in-depth interviews. As a result of the study, 6 categories, including 48 themes and 19 theme clusters, were drawn from the data: 'a shabby life that cannot live without help', 'a life where the body and mind are sick', 'a life that wants to be self-reliant', 'a life of gratitude', 'a life with inner peace', and 'a life that needed institutional support.' Findings of this study can be evidence for developing suitable emotional support programs for the near-poor elderly living alone and to enact various welfare laws and policies at the national level.