• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.62-72
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate QOL and the factors related to family caregivers who care for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients. Methods: The subjects were 83 family caregivers caring for ALS patients who visited the neurology outpatient section of a tertiary hospital located in Seoul between January and July of 2008. Their demographic characteristics were assessed and data were collected using the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale (ALSFRS), the caregiver burden inventory (CBI), HADS, and SF-36. Results: The mean score of the physical health component (PHC) of the family caregiver's QOL was $62.6{\pm}24.4$, and the mean score of the mental health component (MHC) of their QOL was $57.7{\pm}22.4$. The mean score of caregiver burden was $76.5{\pm}30.7$. Anxious family caregivers amounted to 55.4% and depressed family caregivers accounted for 63.9% overall. In a multivariate analysis, the PHC of QOL was explained by caregiver burden (41.1%), depression (9.4%), caregiver gender (3.8%), and caregiver age (3.1%). Anxiety (39.8%), caregiver burden (10.9%), patient gender (5.4%) and depression (1.7%) were predictive factors of the MHC of QOL. Conclusion: Caregiver burden and depression affected both the PHC and the MHC. Caregiver burden affected the PHC more than it did the MHC of QOL, but anxiety affected the MHC more than it did the PHC of QOL.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.399-406
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that affect the psychological well-being in family caregivers of stroke patients. Method: The General Health Perception, short form 36, Health Survey Questionaire was used to measure health perception. The Caregiving Mastery Scale was used to assess the mastery, while the Psychological General Well-Being Index was used to examine the level of well-being. Result: Subjective health, caregiving mastery, patient's ADL and caregiving duration influenced on caregiver's psychological well-being. Subjective health had effect on psychological well-being both directly and indirectly. Caregiving duration and patient's ADL had indirect effect on psychological well-being through caregiving mastery. Conclusion: It is need to develop a health program for the caregivers of stroke patient's and to provide nursing intervention to improve the caregiver's ability, thereby improving the well-being of the family caregivers.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.283-293
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• 2015

Purpose: Depression is a common sign of suffering among the patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Frequent and severe neuropsychiatric symptoms lead to high levels of distress in patients and their caregivers, which results in the high levels of caregiver burden. The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of caregiver burden in caregivers of the patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods: The study included 183 consecutive PD patients and their caregivers. Patients were assessed using the Hoehn and Yahr scale, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living Scale. Caregivers' depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Caregiver Burden Inventor (CBI), BDI, and World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale. Results: All of the patients reported one or more neuropsychiatric symptoms. Patients' and caregivers' depressive symptoms, caregivers' age and education, time for caregiving, and quality of life were significantly associated with the increased caregiver burden. After controlling the level of education as a potential confounding variable, depression in both patients and caregivers, time for caregiving, and quality of life explained 45.6% of the variance in caregiver burden. Conclusion: Substantial attention needs to be given to the early identification of depression in PD patients and their caregivers to improve caregivers' quality of life and burden.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.70-80
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• 2017

Purpose: In this study a caregiver's role improvement program was developed and tested to identify the effect on uncertainty, stress, and role performance of caregivers with hospitalized children. Methods: The design of this study was a quasi-experimental study with a nonequivalent control group and a non-synchronized design. Thirty-three caregivers were assigned to the experimental group and 33 to the control group. Data were collected from March 5 2016 to April 10 2016. For the experimental treatment, each individual was given on-site education with situated learning (given 30 minutes each, for 2 sessions), and self-repetition learning activities were performed from the e-book. Data were analyzed using t-test, ${\chi}^2-test$, Fisher's exact test, paired t-test, and independent t-test. Results: The level of uncertainty and stress decreased, and role performance level improved for these caregivers with hospitalized children. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that using on-site education through situated learning and self-repetition learning with an e-book as in the caregiver's role improvement program is an effective intervention. Therefore, utilizing the caregiver role improvement program developed in this study is recommended as an effective intervention for caregivers of hospitalized children.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.42 no.7
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• pp.1039-1049
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• 2012

Purpose: From the holistic environmental perspective, individual and environmental influences on low-income children's questionable development were identified and examined as to differences in the influences according to the child's developmental stage of infancy (age 0-35 months) or early childhood (age 36-71 months). Methods: This study was a cross-sectional comparative design using negative binominal regression analysis to identify predictors of questionable development separately for each developmental stage. The sample was comprised of 952 children (357 in infancy and 495 in early childhood) from low-income families in South Korea. Predictors included individual factors: child's age and gender; proximal environmental influences: family factors (family health conditions, primary caregiver, child-caregiver relationship, depression in primary caregiver) and institution factors (daycare enrollment, days per week in daycare); and distal environmental influences: income/resources factors (family income, personal resources and social resources); and community factors (perceived child-rearing environment). The outcome variable was questionable development. Results: Significant contributors to questionable development in the infancy group were age, family health conditions, and personal resources; in the early childhood group, significant contributors were gender, family health conditions, grandparent as a primary caregiver, child-caregiver relationships, daycare enrollment, and personal resources. Conclusion: Factors influencing children's questionable development may vary by developmental stage. It is important to consider differences in individual and environmental influences when developing targeted interventions to ensure that children attain their optimal developmental goals at each developmental stage. Understanding this may lead nursing professionals to design more effective preventive interventions for low-income children.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.372-386
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to explore the degree of stress in caregivers caring for CVA patients and the level of daily living performance of CVA patients. The subjects for the study were caregivers of 112 CVA patients who enter a hospital or out-patient-department (OPD) at two Oriental medical hospital in Jeonbuk province. The survey instruments used in this study were Kang's ADL check list for daily living performance of patients and Choi's 4 sore scale for stress of caregivers. The survey was conducted from July 4th to August 30th in 1999. The survey results were analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Science(SPSS) program and can be summarized as follows: 1. The level of daily living performance for the CVA patients was: 1) complete dependence (M=14.9, 13.1%), 2) complete independence (M=23.6, 20.9%), 3) incomplete independence (M=23.9, 21.0%), 4) incomplete dependence (M=26.6, 25%), 5) dependence and independence (M=23.0, 20.0%). The items for with there was a high level daily living performance were: 1) drinking (M=3.62), 2) eating(M=3.25). 3) position returning (M=3.18) : and the items for which there was a low level of daily living performance were: 1) ascending and descending stairs (M=2.08), 2) walking (M=2.47), 3) dressing and undressing trousers (M=2.55). 2. Degree of caregiver stress was: Mean=2.39 at 40 score. The items for which was a high level caregiver stress were: 1) medical fee (M=3.25), 2) being handicapped or recurrence (M=3.02) : and the items for which there was a low level of caregiver stress were: 1) discontinuity of patient's treatment (M = 1.98). 2) change of home atmosphere caused by patient's disease (M = 1.98), 3) desire of patient's knowing about disease (M= 1.99). 3. There was statistically significant difference in the degree of caregiver stress according to the following caregiver's demographic characteristics: education level (F=3.52, P=0.03). change of caregiver (F=5.41. P=0.02). 4. There was a statistically signifiant difference in the level of daily living performance according to the CVA patients demographic characteristics: patient's paralytic status (F=4.48, P=0.01), duration of disease (t=2.76, P=0.03). 5. There was significant difference in degree of caregiver stress according to the CVA patient's demographic characteristics: CVA status (F=4.75, P=0.01). 6. There was statistically significant difference in the degree of caregiver stress according to the level of daily living performance in CVA patients(r=-0.482, P<0.00).

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.1-15
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• 2016

This is a descriptive study that introduces programs that support family caregivers looking after the elderly, by focusing on the case of Georgia, in the United States. The U.S. is one of the few countries that support family caregivers by law. In this study, we focus on the evidence-based interventions implemented through the Alzheimer's Disease Supportive Services Program (ADSSP), a federal policy that complements the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP). Our findings show that one-on-one evidence-based programs (EBPs) for family caregivers are both economical and effective in assisting caregivers. In our discussion, we highlight how the implementation of the latest EBPs can build an infrastructure to support family caregivers. ADSSP funding is useful as it constructs a caregiver support through the implementation of programs in the local community. The result is the creation of a well-coordinated division of labor among government agencies, academia and NGOs, which produces a synergetic effect in funding, research and development, translation and implementation of programs, and staff training. We conclude that the implementation of EBPs funded by the government is a useful reference for Korea and other rapidly aging countries, if we are to create an infrastructure for caregiver support, which can effectively prevent a crisis in caregiving.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.208-218
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• 2017

Objective: This study examined the caregiver burden, depressive symptoms, and mental-related quality of life of 226 caregivers of stroke patients, who had been hospitalized in 7 general hospitals located in Cheongju and Daejeon Metropolitan city. Methods: Data were collected from August 5, 2014 to October 5, 2014 and a structured self-administered questionnaire was used. The results were analyzed using a t-test, ANOVA for different comparisons of the mental related quality of life in the sociodemographic characteristics, care-related characteristics, health-related behavioral characteristics, caregiver burden, and depressive symptoms. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to determine the explanatory power of the independent variables on the dependent variables, with the variables showing significant differences in univariate analysis as independent variables. Results: According to the results of hierarchical multiple regression analysis, the relevant factors that influenced the mental-related quality of life were the relationship with a patient, burden by 'care', burden by sacrifice of 'personal life', and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: To enhance health-related quality of life, not only is a systematic complement on such factors needed, but the development and implementation of an intervention program to the caregiver burden and depressive symptoms is also urgently required.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.446-450
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• 2012

Purpose: This study is exploratory research to check the survey instrument KDSQ-C used to measure cognition for agreement between the elderly and their caregivers. Methods: Elderly persons from 170 families, who are aged over 65, have never been diagnosed with dementia, and who have caregivers in S City and K City were randomly selected by their nurses. A survey was conducted in the time from September to November, 2009 through personal interviews using a questionnaire. Results: In terms of consistency among items, there was high consistency (0.813) in the responses regarding complex task competence for the statement 'it is hard to reach a destination alone with public transportation'. There was relatively low consistency (0.63) in the responses regard memory for the statement 'they forget an appointment'. When the subject elderly and caregiver live together, as when their children or spouses responded, consistency was greater than when the caregiver lived in a different home. Conclusion: KDSQ-C showed high agreement in measurement between the subject elderly and their caregivers, demonstrating that it can be used as a measurement scale for cognition which can be directly applied to the subject elderly.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.354-363
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between characteristics of severe ALS patient-caregiver couples and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in family caregivers. Methods: The participants in this study were 89 pairs of ALS patients using ventilators and a family caregiver. The characteristics of the ALS patients and caregivers, Korean-Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised, Zarit Burden Interview and SF-36 were measured in this study. The data were collected from August 2008 to April 2009. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and canonical correlation were used for data analysis. Results: The physical component summary and mental component summary of the HRQoL score for family caregivers were $147.49{\pm}31.63$ and $129.09{\pm}35.83$, respectively. HRQoL for caregivers was related to characteristics of the ALS patient-caregiver couples, such as patient's gender, caregiver's age, gender, marital status, daily time spent in caregiving and burden with one significant canonical variable. The significant variate showed that the lower the age, the time spent in caregiving and the burden of caregivers, the higher the HRQoL of caregivers. Conclusion: The support systems for caregivers considering caregiver characteristics such as demographics and burden should be implemented to improve the HRQoL of caregivers.