• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.394-401
• /
• 2016

This study examined the experience of long-term care workers who care for people with dementia at home. A descriptive exploratory methodology was applied within the qualitative research paradigm. The data were collected using individual in-depth interviews with 10 long-term care workers who had at least 3 years working experience caring for people with dementia. The data were analyzed within the qualitative content analysis. Job selection, struggling and strategies for the role accomplishment were found to be the main categories. This study emphasized the role of caring as social filial piety from the concept of nonpayment of work in the family.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.66-76
• /
• 2013

Objective : Based on the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), this study was to identifies the goals setting of elderly person with dementia. Methods : For 5 weeks from May to June of 2012, MOHO-based interviews and Occupational Questionnaire(OQ), Interest checklist(IC), Volitional Questionnaire(VQ), The Assessment of Communication and Interaction Skills(ACIS), Occupational Performance History Interview-II(OPHI-II), Occupational Self Assessment(OSA), The Occupational Circumstances Assessment Interview and Rating(OCAIR) assessment were conducted on elderly person with dementia. Further interviews were conducted with case manager and family. Results : After interviews and assessments were conducted, the results of which showed limitations in social and family relationship, financial issues, general well-being. Conclusion : Applying the MOHO forms a basis for judging the subject in a holistic and general way, changes how the subject is viewed, suggests various strategies. For improving the professinoalism and qualities of occupational therapy service, and may help expand the range of other relevant areas.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.285-310
• /
• 2004

The major purpose of this study is to examine effectiveness of an intervention program which aims at education/training caregivers of the dementia and/or stroke elderly. This program was conducted at group level. Participants of this program were the primary caregivers who have taken care of the elderly with dementia and/or stroke. To test the effectiveness of the caregiver education/training program, this study employed an quasi-experimental design: to compare pretest score with posttest ones for the same participants. Total forty two primary caregivers have completed the program. Seventeen caregivers were in experimental group, whereas twenty five ones belonged to control group. Our data suggest that, for the primary caregivers, subjective quality of life was more important than cargiving burden. Subjective quality of life among the caregivers significantly improved, after completing the program. This result suggests that a short-term intervention program at group level is not effective to reduce caregiving burden because an infra structure of community resources, to which the caregivers and their family access, did not remain at sufficient level. However, participants have showed improved mutual solidarity, and they have exposed to wider spectrum of a variety of information. As a result, they have perceived that the level of subjective quality of life has positively changed. Additional factors have influenced on determining the quality of life among the caregivers. The caregivers, whose demented elderly showed lower level of ADL and IADL, or who have experienced the short period of caregiving, were more likely to belong to higher level of quality of life. The quality of life among the caregivers were even more improved in the following group: being young, and highly educated, man. One of the contributions from this study is that we have found caregiver's characteristics, which need an intervention most. In addition, our study implies that specific contents of the caregivers' education/training program should be conducted based on each family's unique characteristics.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.69-75
• /
• 2010

Hospice is defined by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO, USA) and WHO, as a program of care that provides comprehensive medical, nursing and support services to dying patients and their family. Despite its broad definition, however, hospice care in Korea has been focused mostly on terminal cancer patients. Thus hospice eligibility for patients with advanced cancer is relatively easier to predict than those with other fatal chronic illnesses such as heart, lung, renal or liver diseases, and dementia. This makes it more difficult for patients and families to prepare for death and gain full benefits of hospice care. This article introduces the medical guidelines for selected non-cancer patients who are expected to live for only six months, this making it possible for patients, who are nearing the end of life, to avoid unwarranted suffering.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.285-302
• /
• 2021

Objectives: To examine the effect of long-term Korean medicine treatment on mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: This study was conducted on two patients who were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and received long-term Korean medicine treatment. In order to evaluate the degree of cognitive decline, SNSB and K-MMSE were performed 2~3 times at the first visit and during the treatment process. Results: Both cases 1 and 2 were diagnosed with MCI with a high possibility of developing dementia. In case 1, MCI progressed to early dementia at one year after the diagnosis of MCI. However, in case 2, that MCI status was maintained without progressing to dementia for 4 years after the diagnosis of MCI. The cause of such difference in the course of MCI might be attributed to the fact that Case 1 had lower K-IADL level but higher SGDS level than Case 2 at the time of initial diagnosis, with weak family support and irregular herbal medicine intake. Conclusions: Korean medicine treatment could improve and manage symptoms of cognitive decline due to MCI.

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

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

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
• /
• no.53
• /
• pp.235-263
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among caregiving stress, depression, and partner violence by gender. Data were gathered though questionnaires surveying 223 cases living in the Seoul and Kyeonggi, Pusan areas. In analyzing precess, the researchers used t-test, ANOVA, correlation and regression. Additionally, bootstrapping was used to verify the significant mediating effect of depression. The findings are follows: First, approximately 37.3 percent of adult children caregivers reported having experienced partner violence in the past year. And the depression mean score among adult children caregivers was 1.00, higher compared to 0.73 of general population. Female caregiving burden and depression level was higher than those of male. Second, the results from regression analysis revealed that caregiving stress influenced to partner violence positively. Depression has the full mediating effect between caregiving stress and partner violence. The results suggest a necessity of intervention to reduce caregiving stress, depression and prevent partner violence in the dementia caregiver's family. The implications for social work practice were also discussed.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.453-469
• /
• 2000

This study has a purpose to provide information to help develop nursing intervention for demented elderly staying at home. For this purpose I analysed the relationship of patients' disturbing behaviors with their demographic and social characteristics, premorbid personality, and present environmental characteristics through questionnaire survey on their family members. The survey was performed through direct interview, telephone contact. and mail in the regions of Pusan and Gyeongnam. Among family members contacted. 112 ones made an appropriate response to the survey. The statistical package SAS was utilized for descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, stepwise multiple regression, and cluster analysis. The results of the study were as follows: 1) Demographic and social characteristics of the patients surveyed are female 81.3%, average age 81.4 years, lack of schooling 83.0%, spouse dead 73.2%, having no other disease 58.9%, average duration of dementia 3.8 years, no medical treatment for dementia 84.8%, good married life 40.2%, and primary care given by daughter-in-law 49.1%. 2) Aggressive Psychomotor Behavior(APB) was observed in a way statistically meaningful in case that primary care was given by daughter-in-law, while Nonaggressive Psychomotor Behavior(NPB) was in case of good married life and primary care given by other than daughter-in-law and spouse. Verbally aggressive behavior (VAB) was observed in groups of female, spouse dead, bad married life, and daughter-in-law's primary care. As for Passive Behavior(PB), it was observed in case that patients had educational background of not less high than middle school and that they were having medical treatment. Functionally Impaired Behavior(FIB) was observed in age group of 60-69 and more than 90, in patients' group having no other disease, and in case that the duration of dementia was not less than 5 years. 3) Premobid Neuroticism(N) showed positive correlation with APB and VAB, while Openness (O) did negative correlation with PB. Agreeableness (A) was proved to have positive correlation with PA and FIB, but to have negative correlation with APB and VAB. In addition, Conscientiousness(C) showed negative correlation with APB and VAB. 4) The worse the psychosocial environment was, the more NPB and VAB were observed. 5) APB was explained 24% by C and primary care-giver, while NPB was explained 28% by psychosocial environment, having other disease or not, and married life. VAB was explained 40% by A. sex, and married life. On the other hand PB was explained 33% by O, A. N, and having medical treatment or not. But any significant factor was not found to explain FIB. 6) A cluster analysis was performed on disturbing behaviors of demented elderly staying at home. It enabled to regroup the demented elderly in 5 patterns: high scored in NPB, high scored in FIB. high scored in NPB and VAB, moderately scored in most disturbing behaviors, and low scored in all areas. In conclusion, disturbing behaviors of demented elderly not only reflect their premorbid personality in the past, but also are affected by their present psychosocial environment. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage and respond them with understanding their disturbing behaviors in relation to their past premorbid personality. In addition, it is important to provide them better psychosocial environment in order to reduce their disturbing behaviors.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.101-107
• /
• 2003

Objectives : Dementia has emerged as a leading public health problem in elderly persons, and its early detection is important for the treatment of curable cases, and in the educational support for other family members. Although dementia screening tests are available, they have not gained widespread use in community or primary care settings. Our goal was to validate the Tine and Change (T&C) Test, -including its validity and reliability in patients, and to assess it as a simple, standardized method for the screening of dementia in the rural elderly. Methods : The participants in this study comprised of 59 patients from an urban hospital and 405 persons from a rural community aged 65 years or older. The time test evaluated the understanding of clock hands indicating 11:10, and the change test the ability to make 1,000 Won from a group of coins, consisting of one 500, seven 100, and seven 50 Won coins. The T&C ratings were validated against a reference standard based on the physician's diagnosis of the patients. The convergent validity in relation to other cognitive measure, test-retest agreement, and inter-observer reliability were assessed. To assess the relationship between the Korean Mini-Mental State Exam (K-MMSE) and the T&C Test, the mean K-MMSE scores were compared with the results of the T&C Test in the elderly from a rural community. Results The T&C Test had a sensitivity and specificity of 73.0, and 90.9%, and positive and negative predictive values of 93.1, and 66.7%, respectively. The test-retest and inter-observer agreement rates were both 95%. The K-MMSE scores and T&C Test were significantly related in the elderly from a rural community (p<0.01), The T&C Test was not influenced by the educational status. The Time and Change Tests took a mean of 6.3 and 12.7 seconds, respectively, to complete Conclusion : The T&C Test is a simple, accurate and reliable, performance-based tool in the screening for dementia. Because it is quick, and easy-to-use, it is hoped the T&C Test will be used for the widespread cognitive screening of aging populations.