• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.271-286
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• 2000

This study is designed to investigate what elders think about the meaning of aging. We have used Q-methods to identify meaning of aging from elders, and developed self-referenced surveys to analyze characteristics In this study, we used a non-structured method to select Q sampling. From 183 Q populations, we selected 36 Q sampling. A total of 32 persons sixty-years or older were randomly selected for P samples, When the Q-sorting was complete, we interviewed the participants at both end of the extremes(agree or disagree), and documented their responses. We used PC QUANL to process the data and used principal component analysis for Q factor analysis. There were five subjective types for the meaning of aging by elders. Of the 32 P-samples of elders, 11 were identified as Type 1, 7 as Type 2, 2 as Type 3, 8 as Type 4, and 4 as Type 5. Type 1 : 'Matured elders' Elders wished the well being of their children, thought older persons should maintain good health, worried about becoming senile, and dependent God believing in life after death. Type 2 : 'Assertive-Rights' Elders categorized as Assertive-Rights insisted on their rights to life as a person. Type 2 elders characterized themselves as people who should keep themselves healthy, become weak and lack sexual desires, act selfish like a child, need to be protected, and be financially independent. Type 3 : 'Passive-Dependents' Elders characterize themselves as those who pray for their children's well being, worry about the children even after their death. and becoming senile. Type 4 : 'Hopeless' The 'Hopeless' type of elders characterized aging as a time to pray for their children, insignificant beings, thoughts were selfish and child-like, poor, worried about going senile, regret their life overall, and preferred to die than to live as an old person. Type 5 : 'Attached-Present' The 'Attached-Present' type of elders thought elderly characterized themselves as acting selfish and child-like, wiser, anxious, regret their life, stand aloof of greed and worldly things, being a model for the society, and deserving to be treated with filial respect. Thus far, Korean elders seemed to have a positive and negative meaning of aging due to the current changes in the society, value system, and family structures. The above five subjective meanings of aging confirm that we need to approach and nurse the elderly differently. Years of aging are a part of and a natural process of life with various physical, psychological, and sociological changes. Nurses need to assist elderly to find the positive meaning of their life by providing appropriate physical, psychological, and social support at an earlier stage in nursing. Based on this study, we could derive the following two implication from the perspectives of science of nursing to care for elders. 1) Based on the studies investigating the type of meaning of aging, we could develop tools to assist in nursing intervention programs for elderly. 2) Based on research on the meaning of aging for different developmental stages of life, we could develop a model for roles for different family members in nursing and caring for the elders.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.313-334
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• 2015

This study examines cultural differneces in psychosocial maturity experiences between collectivistic and individualistic cultures. Personal, relational, and social dimensions were assessed to explore psychosocial maturity experience of elderly Korean residents in Korea and Canada who were psychosocially well developed through in-depth interviews and a content analysis. According to the results, there were diverse similarities and differences in the psychosocial maturity of elderly Korean residents between the two cultures. First, psychosocially mature elderly residents in both cultures showed positive self-concept and self-satisfaction. However, there were differences in their meaning. Second, in terms of interpersonal relations, the most important and satisfying relationship was the spousal relationship for both cultures, and relationships with children were satisfying. However, there were differences in the meaning of relationships between the two cultures as well as gender differences. Third, psychosocially mature elderly residents in both cultures reported psychosocial factors such as mature aging as a social dimension. Elderly residents in Korea regarded mature aging as a relationship oriented phenomenon, whereas those in Canada reported social attitudes toward mature aging. In addition, elderly residents in both cultures reported greed and harm to others as immature aging. Elderly residents in Korea regarded relational discord as immature aging, whereas those in Canada regarded it as demanding adult treatment from future generation. In terms of transcendence, adjustment was reported as living by going with the flow. Elderly residents in Korea reported adjustment based on fatalism, whereas those in Canada showed some religious meaning. Finally, psychosocially mature elderly residents showed a positive view, acceptance and life integration. These results are discussed from the perspective of cultural differences.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.413-422
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of a well-being program on the meaning of life, self-efficacy and successful aging of elderly using an elderly welfare center. Method: The Welding program training was a non-equality control pre- and post-test design consisting of eight sessions for eight weeks, 120 minutes per week. Data were analyzed by the ${\chi}^2$-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon rank test. Results: The education program was found to influence meaning of life, self-efficacy and successful aging among the elderly. Conclusion: The Welding program has a positive effect on meaning of life, self-efficacy, and successful aging of the elderly, helps the elderly to set values for correct death[ED highlight - please clarify this, I am not sure of your intended meaning.] and give happiness to their lives. It is expected to be used as a useful education program to help raise awareness. The results of this study suggest that the development of a lighting program[ED highlight - please clarify what you mean by this.] for elderly people should be systematically and continuously implemented.

• Proceeding of Spring/Autumn Annual Conference of KHA
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• 2011.04a
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• pp.141-146
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to investigate the planning of the community spaces for sustainable apartment complex under the aging society. For this, it is needed to identify the practical meaning of community spaces for elderly residents. In many cases, existing apartments' community spaces have been designed without considering the elderly. In order to develop successful environment for aging society, it is necessary for us to precisely review how elderly residents are changing their needs. Survey and depth-interview methods were used for data collection of this study. This study was performed in the five subject apartments located in Haeundae new town, Busan. In planning of community spaces for sustainable apartment complex in the aging society, 1) The population of the elderly in apartment complex has been increased with progress of the aging society, and it has been necessary to enlarge and consider the aging-friendly community space. 2) When the community space is located in a good accessibility, visual openness, multipurpose composition and the center of complex, it was investigated that the degree of its usage was high. 3) Common apartment complex for the elderly was deficient, and the composition and the layout of community spaces were needed, which included sports facility, spaces for leisure culture and study. This study could be utilized as basic data for designing community spaces in apartments from the perspective of sustainable community.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.709-727
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• 2013

Recently, "aging in place" has become the principle philosophy of elderly housing policy in many countries. However, since there is ambiguity surrounding the universal definition of it, the meaning of AIP has been defined by political expediency. This study aims to discuss the meaning of AIP by examining the transition of elderly housing issues and policy in Japan. During the last two decades, the Japanese government has tried to launch a new elderly welfare system to shift the responsibility of elderly care from the family to the society and from the society to the region. And the focus of elderly housing policy has shifted from the promotion of three-generation dwellings to supporting the development of private residences. However, since the main goal has been limiting the welfare budgets rather than enhancing the quality of life, elderly housing issues have been reduced to a matter of choosing either elderly care facilities frequently located in suburbs or not. This paper suggest that we should pursue the true AIP idea in housing policy, and argues that to do so we need to consider AIP from diverse aspects such as temporal continuity, the range of space, the dynamics of place experience and the capability of communities.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.323-340
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• 2010

Many social and environmental changes have emerged due to the increasing size of the aging generation. This study explored the current status of the information leisure activity of the aging generation (computer use activity, internet service participation, social community participation and blogging, UCC, etc.) and the need for serious games among elderly consumers. It analyzed the current status of serious game and information leisure span as determined by experts on elderly care at the aging welfare institute. The research methods involved applying content analysis and focus group interviews. The results were as follows: The elderly are willing to enjoy the internet and economics networks. In particular, economic investment, economic news, health, meetings, and communication are the main internet search categories. The results for serious games are less interesting than those for IT participation. The components of usefulness in terms of serious games, as identified by care experts, are simplicity, a user-friendly interface, efficacy, and certainty in using the game device. Care experts recognize that serious games represent a supplementary device to traditional physical and emotional therapy.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.223-247
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• 1996

This study was done to provide information which would lead to nursing care of the elderly being more holistically through an understanding of the phenomena of powerlessness based on the lived experience of powerlessness by the elderly, the meaning the elderly give to such phenomena, and what essence of powerlessness is. The methodology used in this study was Max Van Manen's phenomenological method based on the philosophy of Merleu-Ponty and a concerted approach was realized through the 11 steps suggested in the Van Manen's method. Data collection was done from March 2, 1995 to December 30, 1995. The subjects for this study were four elderly persons who lived with their families and who were over 60 years of age. Data were collected about the lived experience of the elderly, this researcher's experience of powerlessness, the linguistic meaning of powerlessness, idioms of the word or a feeling of powerlessness, and descriptions of powerlessness in the elderly as they appeared in the literature, are works, and phenomenological literature. All data were used to provide insights into the phenomena of powerlessness. Data about the experience of powerlessness by the elderly were collected through open interviews, participation, and observation. In the analysis of the theme of this study, the aspects of the theme, powerlessness in the elderly were clarified, thereby abstracting and finding meaningful statements by the elderly about their feeling of powerlessness, and then those significant statements were expressed as linguistic transformations. The summarized findings from the study are as follows : 1. Five meanings of powerlessness in the elderly were defined. 〈weakness〉, 〈dependence〉, 〈frustration〉, 〈worthlessness〉 and 〈giving up〉. 2. 〈Weakness〉 means that the elderly experience, not only their aging but also, their becoming weak and the loss of physical function frequently caused by diseases. 〈Dependence〉 means that the elderly experience dependence without any influence from the surroundings and that elderly patients who are hospitalized lose their autonomy, follow entirely their doctor's prescriptions, use aid equipment and directions, and depend only on those things. 〈Frustration〉 means that the elderly experience the loss of their roles from the past, there by feeling that there is no work for them to do anymore and therefore feel unable to do anything. 〈Worthlessness〉 means that the elderly experience the feeling of losing their social roles from the past, having no financial ability, thereby being a burden to their children or the people around them, and therefore regarding themselves useless. 〈Giving up〉 means that the elderly experience the feeling of closeness to death in the final stage of their lifetime, lose hope to be healed from their disease, and recognize the incontrollability of their own body. 3. From a general view of the meaning of the theme the powerlessness in the elderly-the most essential meaning of the theme is the 〈sense of loss〉. For the elderly are experiencing a sense of loss in the situation of being elderly and therefore being often hospitalized. Brief definitions of the five phenomena could be 〈weakness〉 meaning the loss of physical strength, 〈dependence〉 the loss of mentality caused by disease and hospitalization, 〈frustration〉 and 〈worthlessness〉 the loss of social performance caused by the loss of social functions from the past, and lastly 〈giving up〉 the loss of the controllability of such situations of aging and suffering disease. In light of the discussion above, it is understandable that the hospitalized elderly experience powerlessness not only as it related to their diseases but also to their normal aging, and this related to other characteristics of being elderly means that the 〈sense of loss〉 is the very essence of their powerlessness. 4. While most cases are of the normal elderly experiencing powerlessness in relation to their social network, cases of elderly who are hospitalized are of those experiencing powerlessness in relation to the loss of their physical desire. 5. The findings discussed above can serve as guidelines for nurses who take care of the ill elderly who are hospitalized and that can provide cues to appropriate nursing service, recognizing that the subjective experience of the objective age of the elderly is so important. Nurses can provide highly qualitative nursing service, based on their deep understanding of the suffering of the elderly due to feelings of powerlessness.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.65-87
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• 2007

The objective of the study was to cast a frame for the integrating concept of successful aging together with for understanding both elderly problems and aging, which was one of the major issues in aging society. For this, the author reviewed the meaning of aging and also made a general survey of both affirmative change such as growth and development and negative change with regard to aging. Particularly, it was observed that wisdom is a key factor for successful aging. The existing theory of successful aging and major study results were reviewed. As a result, the author proposed an integrated conceptualization of successful aging under the general discussion of the limits of existing theory and also explained the characteristics and implications of an integrated conceptualization of successful aging in line with the discussion on the definition of the integrated concept of successful aging.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.510-520
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• 2002

Purpose: This study was to identify nursing interventive strategies centering around the meaning structure of elderly women self-esteem. Method: This study is based on a phenomenological approach. The participants were 6 women over the age of 65 selected in Mullae Senior Club or Yeongdeungpo Senior Welfare Center. The data was collected by in-depth and open- ended interviews from May to September, 2001. The analysis of the data was used the phenomenological analytic method suggested by Giorgi(1970). Result: Two essential themes in the selfesteem of relationships the elderly women emerged: (1) Self-identification through human relations: (2) The ability for self-control. Conclusion: There is a variety of programs and social meetings to confirm self and support systems, whether on the governmental level or the personal level, to help the ability for self-control should be expected to live a more qualitative life and successful aging for elderly women. In addition, this study will offer a better understanding of elderly women within the social and cultural context of South Korea.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.94-102
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to explore elderly women's experience and meaning of Dan Jeon Breathing. Methods: Ten elderly women who have practiced Dan Jeon Breathing over 3 months participated in this study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from participants from May 2012 to January 2013. Data were analyzed with a phenomenological method outlined by Colaizzi (1978). Results: A total of 153 significant statements were extracted from the data resulting in nine themes and five theme clusters. Theme clusters were: "mind-body intervention for old age", "a happy life in old age", "getting better with great efforts", "did not meet their expectations", and "delay at aging process". Conclusion: This study provides us with an understanding on process of elderly women's experiences practicing Dan Jeon Breathing in maintaining and promoting health. Therefore, it is recommended for elderly women who want to maintain health and longevity perform Dan Jeon Breathing as a mind-body nursing intervention.