Pilot Study on Demand and Quality of Oriental Medical Aids and Necessities for Daily Living for the Elderly

This is a pilot study to survey the general demand of senior-assistive necessities before a standardization system for senior-assistive necessities is developed as well as to describe health professionals' opinions about the demand and quality of Oriental medical aids and necessities for daily living for the elderly. This is a descriptive survey in which 29 health professionals are questioned, using structured questionnaires based on ISO 9999. The questionnaires were developed by 7 expert conduction standardization system of senior-assistive products in Korea. The data is analyzed by descriptive statistics. The result is as follows : First, with regard to the demand for all of the items in Oriental medical aids for the elderly, the demand of cupping glasses is the highest, followed by instrument used to apply heat treatment, massage equipment, thermo-therapeutic mattress, and heat or ice packs. With regard to the demand for all of the items for the necessities for daily living for the elderly, chairs are the highest, followed by rolling chairs, beds for health, and heigh adjustable beds. Second, with regard to quality of Oriental medical aids, ${\ulcorner}$aids for hair care${\lrcorner}$ are the best, whereas ${\ulcorner}$aids for boiling Oriental medicine${\lrcorner}$ are the worst. In quality of the necessities for daily living, ${\ulcorner}$chairs${\lrcorner}$ are the best, whereas ${\ulcorner}$beds${\lrcorner}$ are the worst. Above all, this result shows that with ${\ulcorner}$aids for heat or cold treatment${\lrcorner}$, there is relatively high demand and low quaily of Oriental medical aids, and with ${\ulcorner}$Beds${\lrcorner}$, there is relatively high demand and low quality. Therefore, aids for heat or cold treatment and beds in th necessities for daily living are required to be developed for standardization of senior-assistive necessities.

보건의료전문가의 고령친화용품 수요 및 품질에 대한 예비조사연구 - 한방용품 및 생활용품 중심으로-