• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.34-43
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide basic data to develop a Fall Prevention Education Program by comparing and analyzing fall experiences and the factors that influence elderly people with dementia suffering falls. Methods: The participants were 302 patients with dementia aged 60 years or older with nursing records of hospitalization in three nursing homes located in a metropolitan area. The SPSS/Win 21.0 package was used to analyze the collected data. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the influence factors related to fall experiences. Results: For men, fall experiences were more frequent given the following factors: overweight; high fall risk tendency; aged 90 and above; married; dementia duration period of 5 to 9 years; and taking medication for dementia. For women, the factors included age range of 80 to 89; overweight; obese; both low and high fall risk tendency; separation by death; and having spent less than 1 year in nursing homes. Conclusion: We anticipate positive results in fall prevention education programs for the elderly with dementia if the results of this study are used as basic data, and interventions are customized to consider the sex and the relevant influence factors as to fall experiences.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.7-14
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• 2011

This paper is intended to suggest some reference materials for future elderly housing design, especially smart home, in Korea, by reviewing the elements and applications of smart home concept for older adults in USA. Research method includes collecting materials by attending the regular SmartHome$^{(R)}$ part meeting, the navigation of related homepages, and the analysis of collected materials. Current researches in Korea look initial stage and show some general principles without practical concept & technologies of elderly facilities. SeniorSmart$^{(R)}$ Center in USA started on August 2007 with the 3 parts of SmartHOME$^{(R)}$, SmartWHEELS$^{(R)}$ and SmartBRAIN$^{(R)}$. The Center has been doing various multidisciplinary research projects but slowing down the planned processes due to national economic recession. The major researches of SmartHome$^{(R)}$ part can be summarized as follows; CS-PFP( Continuous Scale Physical Function Performance) laboratory is being in operation to help older adults and families make the difficult decision regarding the ability and safety to live independently. Three levels of necessary laboratories from uninhabited space to senior living environment were accommodated for field research. As core technologies of SmartHome$^{(R)}$, predicting & warning system of fall risk on recognizing gait signature patterns to identify any deviation from the normal patterns of the older adults, home monitoring system which will send alerts to a specified relative and/or health care professional when vital signs of the older adults will not be within normal parameters, and Mobility & Research Clinic for evaluating, treating the older adults & multidisciplinary research are under development. SmartHome$^{(R)}$ has made collaborative research agreements for field laboratory with various retirement communities and also is continuing to work for experimental software engineering with the Fraunhofer Institute, Germany.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.85-90
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• 2010

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social support and quality of life (QOL) in elderly people and to examine potential cross-cultural differences. Methods: The author surveyed 82 elderly people, over the age of 65, residing in a nursing home in a Korean rural area and 73 Korean immigrants living in Houston Texas USA who were also elderly. The degree of social support was measured with 20 questions that were answered using a 5 grade scale. The quality of life was measured in 5 fields (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression, each scored using a 3 grade scale) with EUROQOL EQ-5D. Results: The mean score of social support was 65.43 for domestic Korean elderly people (range: 26 to 98); it was 73.43 for elderly Korean Americans (range: 26 to 100). The score was lower for domestic Koreans despite the traditional environment (p<0.05). Regarding QOL, 61% of domestic Korean elderly people complained of pain/discomfort and 47.5% appeared to have anxiety/depression, 30.5% complained of limitations in mobility, 20.7% reported limitations in usual activities, and 14.6% had limitations in basic self.care activity such as washing or dressing. A similar proportion of Korean American elderly had limitations in usual activities (19.2%) and self care activity (9.5%). But significantly fewer complained of anxiety/depression (16.5%, p<0.01) or pain/discomfort (38.3%, p<0.01). The major differences in psychological domains of QOL may be related to the degree of social support and the difference in the socio.cultural environment. Conclusion: Social support is a major determinant of QOL, especially for psychological domains, and these relationships are under the influence of the socio.cultural environment.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.243-253
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify factors affecting the urinary incontinence (UI) prevalence and the quality of life among elderly adult women who are subject to home visiting healthcare services. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 400 women aged 60 or over who were registered for home health care services at one health center in Gangwon-do. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of UI severity, UI type, and the quality of life. The UI severity was assessed using International Consultation of Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), the quality of life using Incontinence Quality of Life (I-QOL), and type of UI using Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis (QUID). The data were analyzed by using x² test, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's Correlation, binary logistic, and multiple lineal regression. Results: The prevalence of UI is 51.7%. The mean score of ICIQ-SF was 9.70±4.04 for women with UI and 0.04±0.51 for women without UI (t=-33.67, p<.001). As the frequency of day time urination (OR=1.34), the subjective health status (OR=1.45), and the educational status (OR=0.90) were higher, the risk of UI prevalence was the higher. The factors affecting I-QOL were ICIQ-SF score, mixed UI, subjective health status, and nighttime urination (adjusted R²=.61). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that UI severity, mixed UI, subjective health status, and day time urination affected the quality of life. It suggests that the assessment for the severity and type of UI be needed to prevent UI or improve the quality of life of UI vulnerable elderly adult women.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.519-525
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to elaborate the factors and strategies to revitalize the policies of elderly-friendly care industry. The analysis was carried out using the method called DEMATEL. The analytical method is based on the DEMATEL technique. The purpose of this study is to clarify the complexity and unclear relationship between activation factors and factors that constitute the elderly friendly-care industry through the prioritization of policy strengthening. As the result of analysis, it was analyzed that the most intensive activation intensity was the highest total strength of meal service(22.095). Followed by health promotion facilities(19.97) and health care(17.726). The lowest factor is sport(15.896). Therefore, in order to improve and promote these factors, continuous policy measures should be sought that are closely related to facility care services, home care services, and preventive support services.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.46-56
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify health status and the use of complementary and alternative therapies in the community dwelling pre-elderly and elderly. Methods: A total of 193 subjects participated in this study. They were recruited from one senior welfare center, four senior citizen centers and subjects' home in two cities. Data were collected with self-reported questionnaires to measure health status and the use of complementary and alternative therapies. Data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA using SPSS/WIN 22.0. Results: Health status in this subjects was different depending on their age, sex, education, religion, type of family, and average monthly living expenses. Most used items as complementary and alternative medicine are diet therapy, herbal medicine such as health supplement food therapy, vitamin therapy, and Korean folk remedies. There were statistically significant differences in using complementary and alternative therapies according to one's current health status (F=7.09, p<.001), comparing health status to peers (F=3.67, p=.013), and chronic disease having more than three months (t=-2.50, p=.013). Conclusion: This study suggest that individualized health care should be continued for the pre-elderly and elderly. Moreover, we need to prepare long term care plans such as educations for applying complementary and alternative therapies.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.35-51
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to provide information for research about residents' opinion toward the physical environments of elderly facilities, through the analysis and investigation on the research methodology of foreign academic journal articles from 1990 to 2014. The study results were as follows: Firstly, purposive sampling was a large majority of both facilities and elderly residents. In quantitative studies, many researchers have conducted simple random, cluster, or stratified sampling. Diverse facilities in area, size, location, and etc. should be considered for participation. The qualifications for residents' participation should be considered as well, so that they all could have autonomy for study participation. Secondly, questionnaire and semi-structured guide were likely to be used in independent and resident care facilities. On the other hand in assisted living and long-term care facilities, open questions and visual material were used as well. A compatible scale should be developed so that elderly having variable functional level could participate independently in the study. Thirdly, in data collection process, compliance with research ethics and well trained interviewer's skill were important for residents' active responses and minimization of response errors. Enough research period of time and mixed study in data collection will decrease the response error.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.14 no.4 s.51
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• pp.70-78
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• 2005

The considerable increase of the elderly with dementia is expected annually and when we think about the family members' and the patients' suffering, it could be painful. Above all things, it imposes heavy economic burdens on the family members that have patients who suffer from diseases of age like dementia or paralysis that caring them at home and also, it is not desirable for those old people in point of physical or environmental circumstances for medical care. Thus, it is needed urgently that the expansion of specified facilities and improvement of services for these old people. Under this present condition, it is the special feature that the subject of research is people/facilities that offer services, not the elderly with dementia-the main user of those facilities. Thus, it is the time that we need various accessing plans that can grasp the patiences' activities and specialties and solve these problems in view of designing interior space. So, I tried to make designs that manage the elderly with dementia effectively and adequate to run facilities with considerations on the state of domestic specialized long-term care facilities for the elderly with dementia and researched guiding principles on physical healing surroundings with analysis that focused on the patients' activities, especially.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.89-99
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the effects of visiting nursing services in long-term care (LTC) insurance on changes in health status and physical functions among the elderly. Methods: We analyzed survey data on the living status and welfare needs of the elderly from 2008 and 2011 using the difference-in-difference method with propensity score matching. Results: The subjects were 76 elders including 38 visiting nursing service users(intervention group) and 38 home-based LTC service users (control group). Results from DID analysis confirmed that the subjective health status level of the intervention group was 2.2 points higher (p=.044) and the depression level was 0.3 point lower (p=.039) than the control group. In addition, the intervention group's ADL score was 1.9 (p=.027) and IADL 3.9 (p=.030), showing that their health was deteriorated less. Conclusion: Visiting nursing service in LTC insurance was associated with delayed deterioration of subjective health status, depression, ADL and IADL. These findings suggest the need of rebuilding visiting nursing service programs focusing on prevention services, which will be more contributive to elderly health care and the reduction of social costs.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.263-272
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was to identify health needs of the elderly at nursing homes by long-term care grade. Methods: The health needs of 116 elders at two nursing homes in Seoul were measured with resident assessment protocols (RAPs), activities of daily living (ADL), and cognitive performance scale (CPS), and pain and depression were measured by resident assessment instrument (RAI). Results: With regard to RAPs, 11 out of 18 items had different distribution in the 3 groups significantly. The 1st-grade elders had a higher percentage of 9 items than the 2nd- and 3rd-grade ones but the 3rd-grade ones had the highest health needs related with activity. The 2nd-grade elders had similar health needs to the 1st-grade ones. In terms of functional level, the 1st-grade elders had the highest percentage of CPS and ADL but the 3rd-grade ones had the highest score of pain and depression out of the 3 groups. The standardized assessment instrument to identify specific health needs by the 3 groups should be developed. Therefore, care plans to meet health needs of the 3 groups will be made. Conclusion: It is suggested that nursing care is required to the elderly of the 1st- and 2nd-grade and safe activity and environment to the 3rd-graded ones.