• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.111-119
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• 2024

Purpose : This study aimed to demonstrate the effects of visiting cognitive activities using brain training on cognition, subjective memory complaints and depression among elderly participants residing in community living in Gwangmyeong city. Methods : Over a 14-month period (October 2022 to December 2023), four brain training instructors visited the homes of older adults and conducted the intervention using a brain training kit. The participants included 32 elderly individuals aged 65 years and older, who were living in Gwangmyeong city. The assessments were conducted by an occupational therapist, a nurse and a social worker at the Gwangmyeong dementia relief center. These assessments included the following the subjective memory complaints questionnaire (SMCQ), short geriatric depression scale-Korean (SGDS-K), a cognitive impairment screening test (CIST), the consortium to establish a registry for Alzheimer's disease-Korean (CERAD-K). The participants were divided into three groups (A: 20-30 points, B: 10-19 points, C: 1-9 points) based on the CIST score. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and wilcoxon signed-rank test were performed using SPSS 24.0, and the statistical level was at a=.05. Results : The results of the intervention showed that the SMCQ score of group A improved significantly (p<.05), the CIST score of group B also improved significantly (p<.05). However, the SGDS-K score of group C improved, but did not demonstrate statistical significance (p=.080). Conclusion : The visiting cognitive activities using brain training produced significant effects on cognition, depression, and subjective memory disorders, depending on the cognitive level of the elderly participants. In the future, it will be necessary to demonstrate the effects according to cognitive level in various aspects with more elderly people.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.171-181
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the living experiences of low-income elderly living alone. Method: The data were collected through more than ten times of in-depth interview with 7 participants. The research question was "what is it like to experience your daily living?" The data were analyzed by Colaizzi's phenomenological analytic method. Results: Four main meaningful themes were identified: 1) The participants blamed themselves for their past lives, 2) They also felt sorry for being a burden on other's lives, 3) They considered diseases to be a natural part of life, 4) They felt worried and hopeless about the rest of their lives. Conclusion: This study revealed the living experiences of low-income elderly living alone. Further studies are needed to determine appropriate care and treatment. The authentic caring approaches are required with caring community people. Finally, this study may provide data for better recognizing the low-income elderly's experiences of caring in the community.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.157-166
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was to explore health experiences of the low-income elderly living alone reflected in Newman's Health as expanding consciousness theory. Method: The researcher used Newman's praxis methodology because it is good for showing the process of interaction between the researcher and the low-income elderly living alone. Results: The significant characteristics of early health experience during a participant's lifetime were demonstrated that blamed themselves, being burden of themselves hopeless of their lives. However, after a turning point in health experience. The health experience of most of the participants evolved as expanding consciousness. Conclusion: This study has provided support for Newman's theory of health. Most of the participants recognized meanings in their patterns and authentic caring relationships with the nurse as researcher, pattern recognition as a nursing practice was a meaningful transforming process in the participant-nurse partnership. This participatory approach expands the scope of sharing health experience with the elderly living alone and with caring community people.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.18-27
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• 2011

This study was to investigate the positive effects of specially designed trunk-stabilization exercise program on lower extremity balance of elderly with history of leprosy. In this participants, lower extremity functions has been undermined by the development of damage in peripheral nerves. A total of 40 elderly with history of leprosy were divided into 2 groups of equal size ($n_{1,\;2}=20$): a group that participated in the exercise program, and a control group that did not exercise but did continue to engage in normal daily activities (including walking). The exercise group exercised for 60 minutes 2 days a week for 12 weeks. Static balance ability was measured by asking study participants to a one leg standing test: dynamic balancing ability was measured with a tandem walking test and a timed up-and-go test. The participants in the exercise program and the control group were tested before and after completion of the exercise program for comparison, and then divided according to their ability to feel sensory in the soles of their feet into the categories of normal sensory group: group with sensory loss in one foot: and group with sensory loss in both feet. The participants in the exercise program showed a positive, statistically significant difference in static balance compared with the control group (p<.05) as measured using the one leg standing test. Similarly, the participants in dynamic balance (p<.05) as measured using the tandem walking and timed up-and-go tests. Finally, these improvements were related to the severity of sensory loss in the soles of the feet for all study participants.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.425-434
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• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate psychological and physiological changes of elderly affected by agro-healing activities. To meet the purpose, we conducted an agro-healing program with 20 elderly participants (average age 77.6±5.84 men and women) and once a week in total seven sessions. The Korean version of the Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument (BEPSI-K), Korean version of the Short Form of Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS-K), participants' satisfaction with the program, Salivettes system method, and blood pressure were measured to find out the effects of agro-healing activities. BEPSI-K decreased by 5% in the high stress group although it was not statistically significant. The result of program satisfaction showed that 75% of the participants are satisfied with these activities. We investigated how many and what kind of chronic diseases the participants have had before they joined the program. As a result, hypertension was most common(35.6%), followed by hyperlipidemia, diabetes, arthritis, lumbago, osteoporosis, and heart disease. Systolic blood pressure after the activities decreased significantly from 144.75mmHg (stage 1 hypertension), to 132.90mmHg(prehypertension stage). As a result of analyzing the correlations between general matters such as age, education level, average income of the participants, psychological scale and number of diseases, it was found that participants' satisfaction had a negative correlation with depression. In conclusion, agro-healing is very useful in relieving stress or lowering blood pressure for the elderly whose most common disease is hypertension. Agro-healing activities are proved to have positive uses in reducing the problems of the modern society with severe issues of the aging population.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.97-104
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• 2017

Background: South Korea is one of fastest aging countries in the world. Poor balance and falls of the elderly are main health issues. Objects: The goal of this study was to understand the association between the socioeconomical factors and the standing balance of elderly living in the rural and urban area. Methods: One hundred sixty-six elderly participants who were older than 65 and were able to walk without an assistive device were recruited in the city of Gwangju and in the rural area of Jeonnam, South Korea. All participants performed the static and dynamic standing balance tests. Static standing balance was measured with chronometer in seconds while standing on one leg. Dynamic balance was tested with the timed up and go test (TUG), measured in seconds while getting up from a chair and walking 3 meters and back to sit. The static and dynamic standing balance was analyzed using analysis of variance and the Fisher's Least Significant Difference post hoc test. Results: Male participants from both areas had no difference in one leg standing and TUG. The female elderly living in rural area took shorter in TUG than females living in urban area. Age decreased the one leg standing time in both areas while did not affect the TUG significantly. As the monthly income increased, both of one leg standing and TUG increased in urban area, while the medium monthly income showed best performance (it was not statistically significant) in both of one leg standing and TUG in rural area. Conclusion: Socioeconomical factors affects differently the standing balance of the elderly living in rural and urban South Korea. Female living alone in urban area with low monthly income demonstrated worst standing balance in this study.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.160-170
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine the participation satisfaction of elderly participants in the job creation project for the elderly, their living satisfaction, life satisfaction and the influence of their participation satisfaction in the project on their living satisfaction and life satisfaction. The major findings of the study were as follows: First, the senior citizens who participated in the job creation project for the elderly expressed a relatively high satisfaction with the project, but the level of their living satisfaction and life satisfaction was not that high. The elderly people who participated in the educational programs of the project were more satisfied with their own participation, living and life. Second, the senior participants who were more gratified with their own participation were more satisfied with their living and life. Third, the living satisfaction and life satisfaction of the elderly participants were under the largest influence of their educational satisfaction, which was part of participation satisfaction. The findings of the study suggest that more educational programs should be offered to step up the expansion of the job creation project for the elderly. In order to boost the living satisfaction and life satisfaction of the elderly, more intensive education should be provided on the job content of the job creation project for the elderly, and the development and implementation of appropriate educational programs are required as well.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.623-640
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• 2011

This study explored the experience of the elderly participants and the community users on the social job program For this, in-depth interviews as focus group interview and individual interview were done for the 21 elderly participants and the staffs, the community users in four social job program for the elderly in C city. Findings of this study as follows: first, the elderly valued the transfomation of their healthier life style as well as the supplementary income from the programme. Second, the elderly got individual benefits as like the healthier life style, more income, pride, recognition of family, and also experienced bond with users and the pride of contributor for the community. Third, they defined the job program as 'paid volunteer service', the care of society for the elderly and the contribution of the elderly for the community. Fourth, the user had disbelief on the elderly at first, they were satisfied with the quality of the commodity and services at last, then they recognized the elderly active and competent. As a result, the social job program for the elderly is good for both the elderly and the community. This result suggest that to make good use of the capability and the will of contribution of the elderly, systematic and sustainable support for the elderly is required.

• 한국노년학
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.887-905
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• 2008

This study investigated the effects of education for the elderly on their psychological well-being. Loneliness(negative state of emotion) and life satisfaction(positive state of emotion) were compared between participants and non-participants of educational programs for the elderly in order to learn whether participating educational programs influences their psychological well-being. The subjects of this research were 288(146 participants and 142 non participants) elderly who are 60 years and older, living in Seoul City and Gyeong Gi Do. They were selected by the judgmental sampling method and surveyed using structured questionnaire. Research instruments were consisted of the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Life Satisfaction Index-Z Scale(LSIZ) and several background questions. The result showed that the participants of the educational programs had a lower level of loneliness and a higher level of life satisfaction. The educational program for the elderly was effective for the psychological well-being of the aged. Multiple regression results showed that subjective health played the most important role in explaining the loneliness, followed by education level, elderly education participation, financial states. The results also showed that subjective health played the most important role in explaining the life satisfaction, followed by elderly education participation, religious activity participation, financial status. Implications for policy, practice, and further research were discussed.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.180-188
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• 2013

Purpose: This study aims to explore the effect of physical, emotional and environmental status on safety consciousness of the elderly who live alone. Methods: A total of 228 participants were the elderly living alone aged 65 years and older. Three questionnaires were developed to measure safety consciousness, physical status, and environmental status by researchers. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used to evaluate emotional status of the elderly. Data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: Average scores of participants were $3.71{\pm}1.49$ (range 0~6) for physical status, $8.28{\pm}3.38$ (range 0~15) for environmental status, $7.21{\pm}3.40$ (range 0~15) for GDS and $17.00{\pm}6.54$ (range 0~37) for safety consciousness. Safety consciousness was significantly associated with education, marital status, drinking, and depression as emotional status. These variables explained 13.6% of the variance in safety consciousness. Conclusion: The levels of safety consciousness among the elderly living alone were low. Education, marital status, drinking, and depression were the factors affecting safety consciousness. Risk assessment and management of these factors are needed to increase safety consciousness of the elderly.