• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.389-398
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to understand and describe the overcoming experiences of family members caring for elderly patients with dementia at home. Methods: Data came from autobiographies on the overcoming experiences of caregiving from 31 participants, who had submitted the autobiographies to a public contest held by the Seoul Metropolitan Center for Dementia in 2012. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Four overcoming stages emerged from the analysis: confronting stage; challenging stage; integrating stage; and transcendental stage, representing transformation of experiences from frustration and suffering to happiness and new hope in life. The confronting stage illustrates severe negative feelings and exhaustion occurring after the diagnosis of dementia. The challenging stage signifies major driving forces in taking good care of their patients. It includes tender loving memories about the patients as well as family and social supports. The integrating stage shows genuine empathy for the patients' situation and the happiness of 'here and now', while the transcendental stage represents new hope in the future. Conclusion: Health professionals need to support caregivers to find true meaning of caring and happiness in everyday life, while providing specific information on dementia care and relieving various negative feelings.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.815-830
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• 2010

This study is a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest study to determine the effects of a make up program on the self-esteem and anxiety of the elderly female dementia patients. This research was done between April 13th and May 1st, 2009. The subjects were 41 dementia patients in an elderly hospital in Honam Area. Twenty dementia patients in the experimental group got the make up measures during the two week experimental period and twenty one dementia patients in the contrast group didn't get any measure during the two week period. Make up measures were given to the experimental group 10 times for the two week period. This study used the self-esteemscale which was developed by Rosenberg(1965) and was translated and modified by Jeon Pyung Je(1974) into Korean. The anxiety status scale which this study used was developed by Spielberger(1970) and was translated and modified by Kim Jeong Taek(1991) into Korean. Collected data were analyzed with SPSS Win 12.0. T-test and multivariate analysis were done to test the hypothesis. This study also used a method of observation. The results of this study are following. After the two week make up measures, the experimental group had more self esteem and less anxiety status than the contrast group. The differences were statistically significant. The result of the observation also supported the research hypothesis. Based on this result, we suggest the make up program as an appropriate and useful nursing care intervention program for female dementia patients.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.725-735
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of burden, family resilience and adaptation of caregivers of elderly patients with dementia, and further to identify factors influencing their adaptation. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was designed. Data were collected from questionnaires distributed to 131 family caregivers of elderly patients who visited at the Centers for Dementia in Seoul during 2012~2013. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The average age of the care giving subjects was 63.58, and 31.3% were male, and 41.2% were the spouses. Statistically significant relationships were found between burden and adaptation (r=-.38, p<.001), and between family resilience and adaptation (r=.52, p<.001), and between burden and family resilience (r=-.35, p=.001). Thirty percent of adaptation was explained by burden and family resilience. The most influencing factor to adaptation was family resilience which explained about 27% of the variance. Conclusion: The results of the study clearly indicate that family resilience explains better than burden on adaptation of family caregivers. Thus, to develop more effective nursing intervention for family caregivers of elderly patients with dementia, it would be necessary to integrate family resilience in the programs. 27% is not that much and I wonder if we have to do more work to identify the factors that influence care giving.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.23-30
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• 2020

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of dual-task training with cognitive tasks on cognitive functions and β-amyloid levels in the elderly with mild dementia. METHODS: The subjects were 36 elderly inpatients diagnosed with mild dementia at S Hospital located in Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. The patients were randomly divided into a dual-task training group (DTG; n = 18) or a single-task training group (STG; n = 18). DTG performed dual-task training with cognitive tasks while STG performed only exercise tasks. These groups performed their respective exercises during a 30-minute session occurring three times a week over an 8-week period. MMSE-K and GDS were used to measure the subjects' cognitive function. To assess the subjects' dementia-related factors, their β-amyloid levels were measured by blood analysis. RESULTS: The results of the experiment were as follows: DTG showed statistically significant differences between their MMSE-K scores and β-amyloid levels before and after training (p < .05), whereas they exhibited no statistically significant differences in their GDS scores. MMSE-K scores and β-amyloid levels were significantly different between DTG and STG after training. CONCLUSION: The present study's overall results indicate that dual-task training with cognitive tasks is more effective than single-task training in improving cognitive functions and β-amyloid levels in the elderly with mild dementia. In other words, regular dual-task training can be considered as effective in improving cognitive function and dementia-related factors in the elderly with mild dementia and thus may be suggested as an effective exercise method for the treatment and early prevention of dementia.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.385-389
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• 2019

As we become an aging society, the number of dementia patients increases every year (an estimated 10% of the elderly, equating to 1.27 million in 30 years). In addition, 17,000 cases of missing people with disabilities and dementia are reported annually, indicating that more than one person per hour goes missing. More than 50% of those who are lost suffer injuries (some of which are fatal) within 24 hours after going missing. This is why measures are urgently required to ensure safety of the elderly. The core function of the disappearances prevention system proposed by this research group is to identify and respond early to deviations of dementia patients from their homes or facilities by identifying the location of the occurrence of disappearance, so that real-time notifications occur when a they leave the protected area. In addition, multiple receivers and public transportation integrated terminals share information when a patient leaves and uses public transportation to ensure their safe return. Most existing beacon-based positioning service models have fixed signal transmitters and are serviced in the form of transport receivers, but the proposed service model has users wearing the BLE beacon and receivers fixed.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.601-614
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the present conditions and problems of oral health care in senior citizens with dementia using a qualitative research method, through focused group interviews. Methods: Data was collected for approximately one month from May 2019. The subjects were divided into two groups: care workers and family caregivers. Fifteen participants were included in the study. Results: In-depth interviews with the care workers revealed the following three categories: characteristics of senile dementia patients, oral health care in senile dementia patients, and oral health care education. In-depth interviews with the family caregivers revealed the following four categories: characteristics of senile dementia patients, oral health care in senile dementia patients, oral health care education, and burden of care. The central themes common to both the care workers and family caregivers were the challenges owing to the characteristics of senile dementia patients, poor health condition of the senile dementia patients, difficulty in oral health care of the senile dementia patients, the desire to receive oral health care education and related information, and to access the information more easily. Additional central themes specific to the care workers were, the applicability of the intervention programs, variability between the facilities, and the problems of oral health care education. An additional central theme specific to the family caregivers was the burden of care. Conclusions: It is necessary to provide oral health care education and information to care workers and family caregivers of senile dementia patients, and to manage and support the dental health professionals ready to care for senile dementia patients. In addition, support to the family caregivers should not be limited only to the financial aspects, but also consider the psychological and emotional difficulties.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.274-284
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• 2017

Due to aging society, the prevalence of dementia is continually increasing and, thereby, causing a serious issue. Although Long Term Care Insurance is provided on a national level, it is not available for the elderly with dementia who do not satisfy the requirements. As the use of smartphones becomes widespread, this study investigated an application that can help disease management of the elderly with the early-stage (mild) dementia and communication among the family members based on analysis of the functions found in currently-available applications and survey among the relevant subjects. As a research method, based on review of the relevant theoretical studies, the service environment of applications available for the elderly with mild dementia was analyzed. Through this analysis, it found out that there is no application for the eldery with mild dementia. On the basis of the results, this study proposed a direction for design planning of an application included many functions like managements of taking medicine, physical activity, brain activity, information on dementia and notes. for dementia management aimed to help the patients with mild dementia manage the disease on their own. If this type of services are expanded in addition to the systemic support from the government, the data collected from these applications can contribute to improving management of mild dementia.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.386-391
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• 2012

The purposes of this study were to investigate the difference on activities of daily living(ADL), instrumental activities daily of living(IADL) and quality of life of aged woman with dementia reported by aged woman with dementia and caregivers. From December 2009 to February 2010, 64 subjects in the institutionalized aged woman with dementia, 22 caregivers were surveyed through structured questionnaires. There was no difference ADL and quality of life of aged woman with dementia reported by aged woman with dementia and caregivers. But, there was significant differences in IADL. Also, ADL was positively related to IADL in aged woman with dementia and caregivers. ADL and IADL were negatively related to quality of life in aged woman with dementia and caregivers. In daily activity and life quality, there is no difference recognized by aged woman with dementia and caregivers. So it's not matter for the nursery to recognize the demand of the aged woman with dementia and to care them. It is necessary to study the elderly with dementia at home, and to compare the patients in accordance with severity.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.401-408
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to obtain the differential variable and learning effect of the serial position effect, targeting individuals aged 60 years and over. A total of 89 individuals were categorized into the following groups: Alzheimer's group, vascular dementia group, elderly depression group, and normal group. Methods: Considering the size of the groups used for comparison, of the total 89 participants, 28 were in the Alzheimer's group, 24 in the vascular dementia group, 16 in the elderly depression group, and 21 were randomly chosen for the normal group. In the CERAD-K word list memory test, 10 words were shown to the subjects. We then asked them to freely recall the words. After changing the order of the words three times, the same process was followed. Results: First, a significant difference was observed among the groups in terms of word recalling rate. The analysis conducted afterward showed that, as predicted, the depressed group showed significantly better performance in recalling the words. Second, the vascular dementia patients and the Alzheimer's patients showed, as predicted, better recall of the largest recency region of words shown. Third, the normal group and the elderly depressed group showed a high-performance rate, proving that the reiterative method can contribute to the recalling process. Thus, we demonstrated that the Alzheimer's group showed the deterioration of short memory recalling skills and the elderly depressed showed deteriorated output performance skill.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.111-122
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• 2011

Purpose: The aim on this study was to establish the validity, reliability and efficiency of a Pain Self-Report Scale for elderly with dementia and compare these results with an observational pain rating scale. Methods: Study subjects were 136 elderly with dementia who were residents in a nursing home, geriatric hospital, or day care center. The subject's pain was measured by five self-report scales and observational scale. DS-DAT (discomfort scale-dementia of the Alzheimer's type) was used for pain behavior observational measure. Cognitive state was assessed using the MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination). Results: Observational rating correlated moderately with self-report (r=.225~.585, p<.05) and tended to underestimate pain intensity. Test-retest reliability was high for all five self-report scales, and the correlation between these scales was very strong (r=.735~.856, p<.05). Comprehension rate of VDS (verbal descriptor scale) was 88.3%, and NRS (numeric rating scale) 69.9%, FPS (face pain scale) 66.9%, HVAS (horizontal visual analog scale) and VVAS (vertical visual analog scale) 65.4%. Conclusion: Nurses should not apply observational scales routinely in demented patients as many of these are capable of reporting their own pain. Self-report, the highest standard of pain measurement can be reliably performed in a large proportion of demented elderly.