• 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.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.121-139
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• 2017

This study aimed to explore the moderating effect of social support resources on the life satisfaction and caregiving burden of family caregivers taking care of the elderly in long-term care services. The study participants were selected from among the family caregivers utilizing 30 home care centers in Seoul, Korea. Of the candidates who agreed to participate in the study, 250 caregivers who had supported the elderly at home for at least 6 months were selected. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS ver. 21.0. The study findings were as follows. First, the whole family caregivers' caregiving burden of family caregivers was found to be slightly higher than the median value. More specifically, the physical burden was the heaviest, followed by the family relationship burden, the social activity burden, the emotional burden, and the financial burden. Social support resources and life satisfaction were found to be a little bit higher than the median value. Second, the variables that statistically significantly increased life satisfaction, starting with the strongest effect, were a lower psycho emotional burden, greater informational support resources, a lower economical burden, greater emotional support, a younger caregiver age, a higher monthly income, and a shorter care period. Third, informational support resources were found to have a moderating effect on the relationship between the support burden and life satisfaction. The more the participants used the informational support resource subcategory of the social support resources, the narrower the life satisfaction decrease, even though the caregivers felt a support burden. Informational support resources appear to have a statistically significant buffering effect.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2008

Purpose: This study was implemented to investigate perceived illness intrusiveness in stroke patients by the characteristics of primary caregivers. Method: Retrospective cross-sectional survey design was used. The subjects were 225 stroke patients and their primary caregivers. Demographic variables, relationship variables, burden, depression and support were measured as primary caregivers' characteristics. Data were analyzed with SPSS win 14+. T-test, ANOVA and correlation test were used depending on variables. Result: Demographic variables such as age, gender, relation with patients, and living status were not related significantly with illness intrusiveness. But primary caregivers' burden, depression and support were related significantly with perceived illness intrusiveness of stroke patients. That is, burden, depression and quantitative support of primary caregivers were significantly positively correlated with perceived illness intrusiveness of stroke patients. On the other hand, qualitative support was negatively correlated with perceived illness intrusiveness. Conclusion: Primary caregivers' characteristics such as burden, depression and support were found to be correlated with stroke patients perception such as illness intrusiveness. So, it is recommended that nursing intervention targeting burden, depression and support of primary caregivers must be developed to reduce illness intrusiveness of stroke patients.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.153-164
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• 2008

Purpose: The principal objective of this study was to identify correlations among elder image, self-efficacy and burden among family caregivers caring for elders with chronic disease. Methods: A total of 187 primary family caregivers caring for frail elders over 65 years of age participated in this study. The data were collected using the Elder Image Scale (EIS), the Self-Efficacy Scale (SES), and the Burden Scale (BS). Correlational analysis was utilized to determine the relationship between EIS, SES, and BS. Results: EIS scores and SES scores were correlated at r=-.188(p=.010), indicating a significant negative relationship between elder image and self-efficacy. SES scores were negatively correlated with the BS scores (r=-.328, p=.000). EIS scores were correlated significantly with BS scores (r=.298, p=.000). Conclusion: These findings support the assertion that perceptions of elders and belief about caregivers themselves are associated with burden.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.619-627
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was to test a structural model of spirituality and the quality of life of stroke survivors' caregivers in order to provide guidelines for the development of intervention and strategies to improve their quality of life. Methods: Data were collected from 133 family caregivers of stroke patients who were hospitalized in C university hospital located in Seoul. Data collection using survey questionnaires was done from May, 2013 to February, 2014. Results: Fitness of the hypothetical model was appropriate. Physical component of quality of life of family caregivers is directly affected by two variables (51.5%), burden and depression. Mental component of quality of life of family caregivers is directly affected by three variables (77.6%), depression, burden, and functional dependence of patients. Depression as well as burden were directly affected by spirituality and functional dependence of patients respectively. Thus, spirituality directly affected depression and burden and indirectly affected the quality of life of family caregivers. Conclusion: Therefore, spiritual intervention to improve the stroke caregivers' quality of life might be necessary to support and strengthen their spirituality as a mediating variable that can contribute to decreasing their depression and burden.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing quality of life of caregivers using day care services. Methods: Data were collected from 14 different day care services in D city, with a total of 146 female caregivers as participants. All participants were at home caregivers whose patients were senior citizens older than 65. Data were collected from September 1 to 30 of 2008 and analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: Quality of life among caregivers of day care services differed significantly according to state of health, other caregivers, job, and family income. Quality of life among caregivers showed correlation with caregiving burden. The significant predictors affecting quality of life were state of health, other caregivers, job, and family income and caregiving burden. A combination of these predictors accounted for 43.5% of the variance in quality of life. Conclusion: These findings show that quality of life of family caregivers using day care services is influenced by caregiving burden. Development of day care service programs is necessary in order to reduce caregiving burden of family caregivers for the elderly.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.582-588
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• 2001

Purpose : This study is to examine the characteristics of the elderly and their family caregivers. to study the main factors affecting Nursing Home utilization, and to help frame a policy about Nursing Home's demand. management and welfare facilities. Method: Data for this present study were collected via questionnaires randomly distributed to family caregivers of the over 60-year-old patients at general hospital and university hospital in Seoul. Kyung-Ki Do and In-Chon from 26 June to 20 July, 2000. Questionnaires were issued to 512 people and 479 were returned. The data was analyzed by frequency, $x^2$-test, t-test, ANOVA. factor analysis. correlation coefficients analysis and Stepwise multiple regression analysis using SPSS 9.0. Result First. Instrumental Activities of Daily Living(IADL), duration of hospitalization, sex, marital status, behavior problems, home ownership, and cognitive disorder about elderly patients affect family caregivers burden. one of need factors. Secondly, marital status. religion. health status, sex, education and age in the family caregiver predisposing factors are main factors on Nursing Home utilization. Third, in need factors, care burden. time burden, family relation burden, physical burden and mental burden have an effect on Nursing Home utilization. Finally, the model the most important factors that affect Nursing Home utilization is composed of six of eleven totally, care burden, religion, time burden, health status, marital status and education. When the family caregivers get care burden and time burden. are highly educated, have no religion, have health problems, and have no spouse, it is possibility for them to utilize Nursing Homes. Conclusion: The government should decrease a family caregivers burden and seek to find how to support Nursing Homes. Furthermore. Social support program for the family caregivers should be required. Thus, the family caregivers need consultation and need to meet to talk about their patients. how to care them, get information, which are the crucial field in advancing the research in nursing science.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.196-204
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was done in order to examine the differences in gender respect to care burden, fatigue, and life contentment of family caregivers of elderly with dementia. Methods: The setting of the study was a community-based dementia care center providing daycare services. One hundred ninety four caregivers were recruited for the survey. A structured questionnaire was used which included demographic information, care burden, fatigue, and general contentment scales. Caregivers were classified into 4 groups by gender relationship with care recipients. Results: The majority of the caregivers were middle-aged and elderly. More than twice as many were female rather than male caregivers. The results showed that women caregivers expressed more fatigue than men overall (p < .05). In the gender relationships, a different combination of man-woman appeared to have more burdens than that of a woman-woman group (p < .05). For fatigue, the man caregiver-woman elderly group showed a higher fatigue score than a woman-man group (p < .05). However, there was no significant difference in life contentment among groups. Conclusion: These results suggest that caregiver's gender and gender relationship with elders could be considerable factors when the nurses make a plan in the community for dementia nursing management services.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.290-298
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• 2015

Purpose. This study aimed to explore family caregivers' experiences with ventilator-dependent patients at home. Methods. The number of patients using mechanical ventilators at home is expected to increase and family caregivers must be able to care for them. However, few studies focus on the experiences of family caregivers. We conducted in-depth interviews with 11 family caregivers who cared for a ventilator-dependent patient at home in South Korea. Data were analyzed using phenomenological method of enquiry. Results. Statements generated from the interviews on the meaning of the family caregiver's experiences were organized into 27 themes, 5 theme clusters, and 2 categories. The theme clusters included endurance under the burden situation, role strain as a caregiver, separation from others, trying to find coping methods, and oriental ethnical customs. Family caregivers of patients using domestic mechanical ventilators need systematic education and emotional support to cope with the challenges of managing ventilator equipment and learning new ways of communicating with patients on the ventilators. Conclusion. These findings may contribute to family caregivers' knowledge and competence, thereby allowing them to better support their ventilator-dependent family members.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between stress and quality of life of family caregivers of patients with lung cancer. Methods: From April 18 to May 4, 2009, data were collected using self-report questionnaires with 95 family caregivers of lung cancer patients in G cancer center. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and pearson's correlation coefficient with SPSS 14.0. Results: The mean score of the stress level was 27.5 (SD=14.77). The mean score of the QOL was 73.0 (SD=17.86). The stress level of family caregiver showed significant difference according to gender (psychological stress p=.011, total level of stress p=.042) and availableness of second caregiver (physical stress p=.023, psychological stress p=.035, total level of stress p=.001). The QOL of family caregivers showed significant difference according to daily caring (positive adaptation p=.045) and financial burden on treatment expense (positive adaptation p=.004, total quality of life p=.043). The negative correlation was found between stress and QOL of family caregivers (r=-.67, p=.032). Conclusion: These results indicate a need to develop nursing intervention programs for family caregivers to reduce stress and improve QOL.