• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.231-248
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to implement a cognitive stimulation activity program and examine its effects elderly people who is capable of daily life and community activities but suffering from per sistent cognitive decline on the elderly's cognitive function, self-efficacy, and depression. The purpose of this study was to help elderly people who is capable of daily life and community activities but suffering from persistent cognitive decline improve their ability to perform and adapt to activity-based tasks incorporating a variety of actions of different subdomains and difficulty levels, ac cording to their characteristics and cognitive levels. The aim of the program created was to systemati cally improve the subdomains of cognitive functions and eventually preventing these conditions develo ping into dementia in those affected. This study also enabled the subjects to improve their self-effica cy through newly gained positive perceptions and attitudes toward their own abilities by successfully expressing their experience or thoughts about circumstantially and relationally meaningful events and memories, and performing activities that promote sensory stimulations. The group activities conducted as part of the study helped the subjects reduce their symptoms of depression not only by expressing their thoughts and emotions, but also by encouraging empathy with, understanding of, and caring for others. Given that this study confirmed the potential of the cognitive stimulation program designed fo r it as a clinical intervention for elderly people with cognitive impairment, it is suggested as a useful preventive program for early stage dementia.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.63-75
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• 2021

Objective : The purpose of this study was to examine the roles and practices of occupational therapists in public health centers based on their working experience of occupational therapists who are working in these facilities. Methods : We used Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological research method. Six occupational therapists were interviewed, and their recorded data were analyzed using Claizzi's thematic analysis. Results : As a result, 4 categories, 16 themes, and 24 elements were elicited. The major roles of occupational therapists in public health centers were the evaluation of clients, home-visit occupational therapy, management of dementia programs and community connection projects. Interventions that are needed to create a healthy community include case and program management, compensatory approaches, and healthy lifestyle interventions. The difficulties experienced by occupational therapists include their limited number job insecurity, performance-oriented administrative policy, and the lack of communication among professionals. Occupational therapists require education in health management and practice in public health centers to build their capacities. Conclusion : The results of this study could be used for guidelines for occupational therapists who work in community healthcare centers, as well as basic training for competent occupational therapists in the community.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.96-103
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• 2021

Background: The number of elderly people with comorbidities who experience dysphagia associated with geriatric disorders, such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's dementia, is increasing. Consequently, the demand for long-term prescriptions of powdered medications is expected to rise. Most patients procure repackaged prescription medications from pharmacies; however, the guidelines regarding their expiration dates are unclear. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess awareness among adults regarding the expiration dates and drug stability issues associated with repackaged prescription medications, including powdered medications. Methods: A questionnaire with 16 components was designed and distributed online (August 1-September 1, 2019) to adults aged 19 years or older. Statistical analyses, including descriptive analysis and chi-square test, were conducted on the obtained data. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Data from 254 respondents were analyzed; 191 (75.20%) respondents worked in non-healthcare-related fields. A significant number of healthcare workers recognized the stability issues associated with powdered medications (p<0.001). However, a large proportion of healthcare workers were not aware of the expiration dates (p>0.05). Conclusions: More than half of the total respondents, including healthcare workers, were not familiar with the appropriate expiration dates of repackaged prescription medications. The establishment of evidence-based guidelines regarding drug expiration dates and the dissemination of awareness among patients are required. Furthermore, clinical practices including repackaging or pulverizing medications for long-term prescriptions should be avoided owing to the associated drug stability issues.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.569-576
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to assess the oral health knowledge, attitude and behavior among geriatric care workers in long-term care facilities. A self-administered questionnaire was obtained from 212 geriatric care workers attending a professional education program of 2014 dementia pilot project. The questionnaire consisted of 4 parts of the training experience (2 items), knowledge (16 items), attitude (13 items), and behavior (4 items) on oral health care. Collected data were analyzed by frequency analysis, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA using SPSS Statistics ver. 20.0. The percentage of educational experience on oral care was 27.9% and most respondents answered that they have received the education about denture cleaning (98.3%) and brushing method (91.4%). The average knowledge score was $10.88{\pm}1.70$, and respondents showed high-level agreement in 8 of the 10 items in attitude questions. They revealed difficulties in providing oral care to the elderly people because of their lack of knowledge. The deficiencies of knowledge about oral care would have a decisive effect on not only oral and general health, but also quality of life of the elderly people. Therefore, it is required to develop professional oral care training programs for geriatric care workers and support systems should be legalized.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.9
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• pp.285-292
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to analyze the association of smoking cessation attempts and the perceived stress level and to identify the factors affecting the perceived stress level of quit smoking. The study utilized the 2015 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and was applied an Ordinal Logistic Regression to examine the association of smoking cessation attempts and perceived stress level. The current smoker those who experience failure in smoking cessation, were more stressful than those who experience success in smoking cessation (OR=1.72, CI;1.41-2.08). This study identified smoking cessation failure as a major psychiatric factor associated with high perceived stress level, and suggests high stress after smoking cessation failure as one of the reasons why smokers do not reach complete smoking cessation. Also, in order to promote smoking cessation, it is needed to have political approach in reducing the psychiatric hurdle like high stress after smoking cessation failure.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.14 no.1_4
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• pp.25-36
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• 2007

The results of researching on duties of physical therapist, understanding of elderly diseases and policies related with elderly welfare came out from the survey before beginning of education to physical therapists who attended National Elderly Welfare Physical Therapist Workshop during Sep. 11th to 14th, 2007. They have already understood about long-term elderly care insurance from the policy, and responded that those policies will bring more advantage to elders. On contrary, negative response had reason of low service quality. About elderly care system, there were positive answer of appropriate alternatives to support them, but also other critics had opinion of inevitable choice for living conservation. About understanding of elderly diseases, there were more comprehension of diseases as age gets higher, but most did not understand dementia and paralysis. Past experience and process of medical treatment for their disease were such arthritis, paralysis, broken bone, and dislocation of joint. Prognosis of technical training was mostly answered positively, but linking with other related disease programs were not welcomed. Most respondents thought that professional training were needed. The results of understanding diseases during senescent had high percentage of understanding as age and education was high, and it had eye upon statistics of the survey (p < 0.05) Most of those questioned responded that it is appropriate to have six working days per week and eight hours of daily work, however, present wage is not reasonable. Most of those questioned had negative response of work independence, and had an-swered that there should be certificates needed in related fields. For difficulties during work period, they had hardship instituting direction of treatment by lack of program, level of wage, and physical difficulties. Physical therapists averagely wished to have fewer than thirty patients per therapist. After the research, physical therapists who work in those facilities of elderly care systems agreed on policies, though it should not lower service quality. In addition, they were pros to have elderly care system, yet they are still inevitable option to maintain living. For work environment, the period of work was appropriate, but had different opinions for work independence and regular number of patients. Therefore, there should be more organized treatment program that also should be linked to other practical programs at this beginning point of the policy enforcement and the time that many therapists hope to work in elderly care system.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.313-328
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• 2006

This study was objectively performed to identify dietitians' job in the elderly health-care facilities, to assess facilities and dietitian's demographic characteristics, and to determine performance and importance of dietitian's job including the demand of therapeutic diet development. Survey was conducted by mail and samples were the dietitians working in 376 facilities which capacity is over 50 members from nationwide 583 the elderly health-care facilities. Returned questionnaire was 102 and used for statistic analysis. The distributions of the elderly health-care facilities showed 39 the elderly nursing facilities(38.2%), 32 skilled nursing facilities (32.4%), 13 geriatrics hospital facilities(12.7%) and 9 the elderly cost nursing facilities(8.8%). 60.0 percent of the samples showed its menu price as 1,000 to 1,500 won. A cycle-menu program was in-use at the 79.0% facilities, but only 7.1% facilities have been introduced a selected menu system. 92.9% facilities employed only one dietitian. In the demographic characteristics of dietitian only 14.7% dietitian had a clinical dietitian license and 51.5% of respondents answered at least 1 to 3 months internship program is needed. Job activities of the dietitian in the elderly health-care foodservice were identified as 45 activities with 9 dimensions. Job performance score evaluated dietitian oneself was 4.71 of 7 points. The average importance score that the dietitian evaluated their own job was 5.66 points of 7. The job activities shown higher importance but lower performance were therapeutic diet development for in-patients, menu development suitable for taste of the elderly, and leadership. Job performance score by characteristics of dietitian and their elderly health-care facilities was significantly associated with experience of dietitian in elderly health-care (F=4.480, p<0.05), education of dietitian(F=2.659, p<0.01), number of dietitian(F=2.245, p<0.05), and number of employee in foodservice(F=2.607, p<0.05). Most common diseases of the aged was proved as hypertension(81.7%), diabetes mellitus(71.4%), and dementia(65.0%). The therapeutic diets frequently provided were diabetes mellitus diet, dysphagia diet, low sodium diet, high fiber diet, and high protein diet, in order. For those reasons, dietitian in the elderly health care emphasized that the information about therapeutic diet development such as diabetes mellitus diet, dysphagia diet, low sodium diet and hypertension diet must be continuously developed and provided. The result from this study can be applicable to enlarge and enrich job activities of dietitian in elderly health-care foodservice.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.243-249
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• 2019

This study examined the patient's advantage and respect self-decision to protect human dignity and values, who are on the pathway of the hospice palliative care and death process. The study subjects were the elderly who had signed the advance medical directives at C Christian religious facilities in S region. The survey period was started on July 1st, 2019 and lasted for ten days. The study resulted in four topics and eight sub-topics on the motivation for preparing advanced medical directives. The four topics were 'for children', 'fear of pain', 'want to clear my life', 'felt the necessity', and the sub-topics were 'don't want to make a burden to children', 'don't want to make a worry of medical expenses', 'fear of pain', 'have experience of taking caring of painful death process', 'relaxed mind', 'importance of self-decision', 'have known it before but now decided', and 'it is the new information and decided'. This research is meaningful in that it can form the basis for improving well-dying education programs for the good death of the elderly and supplementing effective systems for preparing advance medical directives.

• 한국노년학
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.549-565
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• 2017

A high-quality workforce is essential to delivering the high-quality care for the older people who are beneficiaries of long term care insurance. Providing adequate education and ongoing training opportunities could be one answer that may lead to the ultimate goal of improving the quality of long-term care services. Thus this study aimed to examine a workforce crisis and difficulties that care workers face in current education system, especially in contents and administration aspects and draw out suitable solutions or improvement measures. The focus group interview approach was chosen to reflect opinions of long-term care workers, directors of the education system in long-term care facilities and managers. The findings from the focus group interviews were analyzed by theme and classified into several categories by common subjects:'Training contents', 'Training environment', 'Administrator', 'Compulsory training', 'Care givers supply', 'Working condition'. Also, four content areas were presented as follows:'Job training', 'Dementia care training', 'Administration system', 'Workforce'. The caregivers demand very practical training programmes and trainers with a lot of field experience. Improving the working condition and treatments for them leeds to expand the opportunity of the on-going training.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.5
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• pp.665-679
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• 2022

Objective : Patients with mild ischemic stroke experience various sequela and residual symptoms, such as anxious behavior and deficits in movement. Few approaches have been proved to be effective and safe therapeutic approaches for patients with mild ischemic stroke by acute stroke. Sildenafil (SIL), a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE5i), is a known remedy for neurodegenerative disorders and vascular dementia through its angiogenesis and neurogenesis effects. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of PDE5i in the emotional and behavioral abnormalities in rats with mild ischemic stroke. Methods : We divided the rats into four groups as follows (n=20, respectively) : group 1, naïve; group 2, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo30); group 3, MCAo30+SIL-pre; and group 4, MCAo30+SIL-post. In the case of drug administration groups, single dose of PDE5i (sildenafil citrate, 20 mg/kg) was given at 30-minute before and after reperfusion of MCAo in rats. After surgery, we investigated and confirmed the therapeutic effect of sildenafil on histology, immunofluorescence, behavioral assays and neural oscillations. Results : Sildenafil alleviated a neuronal loss and reduced the infarction volume. And results of behavior task and immunofluorescence shown possibility that anti-inflammation process and improve motor deficits sildenafil treatment after mild ischemic stroke. Furthermore, sildenafil treatment attenuated the alteration of theta-frequency rhythm in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, a known neural oscillatory marker for anxiety disorder in rodents, induced by mild ischemic stroke. Conclusion : PDE5i as effective therapeutic agents for anxiety and movement disorders and provide robust preclinical evidence to support the development and use of PDE5i for the treatment of mild ischemic stroke residual disorders.