• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.469-479
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• 2010

Using data from the 2001 National Long-Term Care Survey database, this study analyzed gender differences in factors affecting caregiver burdens of spouse caregivers in Korea. Multiple regression was used to estimate factors influencing caregiver burdens of caregiving wives and caregiving husbands respectively. The results showed that there was a significant variability in predictors of caregiver burdens of spouses who take care of the impaired elderly. ADL functional status of care recipients and social support were significant for both the caregiving wives model and caregiving husbands model in influencing caregiving burdens. It was noticeable to report that a caregiver's self-rated health status, monthly caregiving expenses, a care recipient's self-rated health status were unique predictors for the caregiving wives model. These findings suggest that it is vital for planners and providers to take gender differences in spousal caregiving into account when designing and formulating community-based long-term care service programs.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.1090-1105
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• 2012

A multi-modal sensing M2M healthcare monitoring system for the continuous monitoring of patients under their natural physiological states or elderly persons with chronic diseases is summarized. The system is designed for homecare or the monitoring of the elderly who live in country side or small rest home without enough support from caregivers or doctors, instead of patient monitoring in big hospital environment. Further insights into the natural cause and progression of diseases are afforded by context-aware sensing, which includes the use of accelerometers to monitor patient activities, or by location-aware indoor tracking based on ultrasonic and RF sensing. Moreover, indoor location tracking provides information about the location of patients in their physical environment and helps the caregiver in the provision of appropriate support.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.141-152
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• 2004

Most elderly victims of senile dementia in Korea are cared for at home. This creates hardship for their families. Recent research suggests that the physical environment can affect the treatment of dementia. In light of these findings, a prudent approach to the design of the housing environment of family with dementia sufferers is advisable. This study aims to determine the design factors that need to be considered for the housing environment of dementia, particularly for those suffering from Alzheimer's or Cerebrovascular dementia. For this study, and in-depth qualitative investigation method was employed. Principal caregivers were interviewed using various investigative tools, including objective measures, structured and non-structured questionnaires. The investigation results suggest that the need for housing environment improvement varies with the severity and type of dementia. The housing needs in this study, is expected to promote a focus on improved design management for the environment and housing of dementia and their families. The results also suggest the establishment of a welfare policy for senile dementia victims and their families.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.389-398
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to understand and describe the overcoming experiences of family members caring for elderly patients with dementia at home. Methods: Data came from autobiographies on the overcoming experiences of caregiving from 31 participants, who had submitted the autobiographies to a public contest held by the Seoul Metropolitan Center for Dementia in 2012. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Four overcoming stages emerged from the analysis: confronting stage; challenging stage; integrating stage; and transcendental stage, representing transformation of experiences from frustration and suffering to happiness and new hope in life. The confronting stage illustrates severe negative feelings and exhaustion occurring after the diagnosis of dementia. The challenging stage signifies major driving forces in taking good care of their patients. It includes tender loving memories about the patients as well as family and social supports. The integrating stage shows genuine empathy for the patients' situation and the happiness of 'here and now', while the transcendental stage represents new hope in the future. Conclusion: Health professionals need to support caregivers to find true meaning of caring and happiness in everyday life, while providing specific information on dementia care and relieving various negative feelings.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.38
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• pp.33-67
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• 1999

This study is the second phase of the author's larger attempt to investigate the factors affecting housewives' caregiving behavior to their elderly parents-in-law. Specifically, it revises and expands the previous model (1998) and develops a new one by rectifying the three major problems inherent in the previous study: (1) misspecification error; (2) non-equivalent comparison of results between the father-in-law model and mother-in-law model that stems from the inclusion of heterogeneous group of caregivers; (3) measurement problems for the two endogenous variables of eldercare attitude and behavior. To do this, the current study proposes a more comprehensive model by additionally incorporating other salient exogenous variables, renders the comparison of results between the father-in-law and mother-in-law models equivalent by including only homogeneous group of caregivers (i. e., only those housewives whose parents-in-law are both alive), and introduces standardized measurement scales for the endogenous variables. Estimation of the model in terms of maximum likelihood procedures in LISREL8 attests to a better overall performance over the previous model when judged from several criteria such as coefficient of determination, model fit statistics, proportion of significant causal paths, and measurement properties of reliability and validity for the variables. Interpretation of the findings suggests several salient theoretical implications that concern such crucial issues as the inconsistency between eldercare attitude and behavior, patterns of association among the subdimensions of eldercare, and the difference in the antecedents explaining attitude as opposed to behavior of eldercare. In particular, the finding that indicates almost no differences in the determinants between the father-in-law and mother-in-law models suggests a strong case to argue that caregiving behavior to fathers-in-law and mothers-in-law, respectively, is likely to be a uniform phenomenon sharing virtual1y the same antecedents, and that a unified single model is sufficient to account for caregiving behavior to both parties.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.141-150
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine satisfaction with counseling in long-term care service, and to compare the scores of counseling satisfaction according to variables among beneficiaries of Korean long-term care services. Methods: Questionnaires were completed by 445 beneficiaries of long-term care insurance to measure satisfaction with counseling. Research design was cross-sectional descriptive design. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test and ANOVA for evaluating differences in satisfaction with counseling according to variables including economic status, the level of long-term care insurance approval, duration of long term care service, and conditions of counseling. Results: The score of satisfaction with counseling was somewhat high as 71.67. The score of counselor's attitude was highest among the subcategories of satisfaction. The factors that influenced satisfaction with counseling were frequency and time of counseling (F=12.19, p<.001). Conclusion: Home-based individual counseling is necessary for the elderly who need long-term care service. The National Long-term Care Insurance Corporation should offer counseling and assistance to elders and their caregivers about long term care insurance.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.205-215
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• 2008

Purpose: This study was to compare the effects of individual and group intervention programs on the demented elderly and their families. Methods: The programs were applied to two groups, one by home visiting and the other by group intervention. The groups were composed of 14 elders and 12 elders, respectively, with their families. The programs were applied twice a week, ninety minutes per session for four weeks. Programs consisted of cognitive therapy, music and art therapy, and massage for the demented elderly, education on dementia, cognitive-behavioral intervention for problematic behavior, methods to lessen stress, and counselling for the families. Results: AER, problematic behavior, QOL of pts and QOL, caregiving burden, and relationship with the pts of caregivers were improved after each program but not significantly except QOL of pts (Z=-3.37, p=.00) in the group intervention. When the two interventions were compared with each other, the group intervention program was more effective than the home visiting program in all variables but not significantly except QOL of pts (U=32.00, p=.00). Conclusion: In summary, both the individual and group intervention programs were helpful to both pts and families, and even though there was no statistically significant difference between the two intervention programs except in QOL of pts, the group intervention was more effective.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.22 no.3_1spc
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• pp.600-606
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• 2013

This paper describes the development of a novel walking assistance robot for the elderly and infirm. In the case of simple walking assistance devices, the walking safety and effectiveness are somewhat low; hence, caregivers are frequently required. The walking assistance robot developed in this research is capable of securely and conveniently assisting a walking user by using electric motors and various devices without a caregiver. The main features include the following. First, the walking safety is improved by using a pelvis supporter, and the robot is able to follow the user effectively by means of ergonomic motion sensors and electric powered wheels. Second, it is possible to adjust the load applied to the lower body by adjusting the height of the pelvis supporter. Finally, it is possible to inform the approximate distance and direction of any obstacle around the robot using the sounds and vibrations for the blind and the hearing impaired. The performance of the developed walking assistance robot was successfully verified using a walking assistance test in a narrow-corridor environment.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.33-46
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of those who take care of the elderly at a long-term care facility during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Colaizzi's phenomenological research method was applied to describe the meaning and nature of the experiences of eight workers in an elderly care facility during the COVID-19 crisis. Results: Studies have shown that these workers experienced 'fear from infectious disease' and had the opportunity to 'reflect upon life changed by infectious disease.' They also worked together to overcome the crisis by 'protect nursing home with the nurses at COVID-19 sites' and felt 'safety from the nursing home,' and experienced 'a strong sense of calling for the job' through the crisis. Conclusion: This study is the first of its kind conducted in Korea on workers in an elderly care facility. The results indicate that it is necessary to supports these workers with practical useful education, counseling, and emotional support during the epidemic.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.1361-1381
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• 2009

There have lately been a variety of social issues in our society due to rapid social changes. Specifically, how to approach elderly people who suffer from dementia is never an easy task, and few in-depth studies have ever focused on their quality of life due to that. The purpose of this study was to examine the quality of life of elderly people with dementia and the relationship between their quality of life and the environments of facilities for them in an attempt to lay the foundation for the development of compatible programs tailored to the environments of the facilities and for relevant policy setting. It's ultimately meant to improve the quality of life of the elderly with dementia and the environments of facilities for them. The subjects in this study were elderly people with dementia who were housed in senior residential and medical welfare facilities in Daegu and Gyeongsangbukdo. The collected data were analyzed with a SPSS 12.0 program, and frequency analysis, cross-tabs and multiple logistic regression analysis were utilized. As a result, facility environments were identified as one of the variables that had a significant impact on the quality of life of the elderly people with dementia. There are some suggestions about how to boost their quality of life: First, good environments should be prepared in consideration of the characteristics of elderly people with dementia in order for themto be satisfied with their own quality of life, and the way of looking at their potentials should be changed. Second, it's found that main caregivers affected the quality of life of the elderly people with dementia, and the kind of programs that focus on the improvement of the relationship between elderly people with dementia and their main caregivers is required. Third, there should be a change in the environments of the facilities. The facilities should be well equipped to successfully respond to the symptoms of elderly people with dementia. To redress their poor accessibility to the facilities, infrastructure involving nursing homes and professional personnels should be built by utilizing the Internet, and the facilities and local community should make concerted efforts to provide quality care to elderly people in want of it.