• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.173-207
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• 2018

Japan is a super-aged society where the proportion of the people aged over 65 is exceeded 20%. Therefore, there are many accidents that occur in long-term care facilities in Japan, and there are many civil litigations. The Japanese court has acknowledged in many cases that the long-term facility is responsible for the damage to the elderly who is injured in the facility. The cases can be divided into ① tumbling down, ② wandering, ③ suffocation, ④ bedsore, and ⑤ accidents among the facility-users. In most cases, the court found that the facility violated its obligation to protect their users. This is not only the case where the manager or the employee of the facility violates the obligation to watch and care for the elderly, but in some cases, the failure to maintain the human and material system itself is recognized. The basis for such judgment is whether the facility can predict the possibility of an accident and whether the facility has taken measures to prevent accidents. Also, the Japanese court recognizes the transfer of burden of proof in order to expedite the victims' rights. However, the liability of the facility for damages should not be so heavy that it would be hesitant to allow a person to enter the facility and make a contract.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.2609-2619
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationship among the depression, physical condition, daily living activities, and sleep state among old people at elderly care facilities. The subjects include old people aged 65 or older residing at an elderly care facility. At elderly care facilities, the depression of old people was related with the state of vision, mastication ability, quality of sleep, and sleep state. The degree of relation was high in the group with a poor vision, the one with a bad condition of teeth, the one that considered their quality of sleep to be poor, and the one with somnipathy. Their depression had negative correlations with age and positive ones with mastication ability and assessment of quality of sleep. At elderly care facilities, the depression of old people was highly connected with the state of vision, mastication ability, sleep state, and hearing ability. In short, the depression of old people at elderly care facilities is highly connected to the health state perceived individually. The findings point to the importance of close interest in individual health state and management of old people in poor vision, mastication ability in healthcare and nursing intervention.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.576-590
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• 1996

Advanced countries such as the USA and Japan are eagerly seeking ways to improve health and welfare of the elderly. One of the services is home health care service using the telephone. Various types of services using the telephone have been developed, improved and are being utilized ranging from the basic consulting to emergency response systems in the area of health care for the elderly. A demonstration project was launched to study the feasibility of a consulting system and telemedicine for the elderly using the public phone system in Korea. For this project, a gathering site for the elderly was selected and those who visited this place were interviewed to find out what kinds of services they wanted and what kind of system they needed to provide the required services. Based on the users' requests and the surrounding environment, a telephone consulting facility was established at the Research Institute of Nursing Science at Seoul National University and consulting personnel was recruited, trained and posted at the center. An Application program for home health care nurses to use when they visited the patients at their homes was developed. This system operates on a notebook Computer and allows nurses to communicate with a doctor at a local hospital through a modem and telecommunication line. These systems were implemented for three months and problems which developed during operation of the systems were identified and progressively modified. Through system evaluation, it was found that a consulting system using phone service will be an invaluable system for the welfare of the elderly in the future. But in order to meet the elderly's need, more services than mere consultation are needed. That is, communication with physicians and hospitals are needed. Thus, when there is any need for physicians' attention, physicians or hospitals should be contacted directly. Similarly for telemedicine, when the home health care nurse visits elderly patients she can assess the patient's problem and provide nursing care, access a physician or hospital to refer her patient to or consult directly using the telecommunication the system. The above mentioned system is a basic form of futuristic telemedicine for the elderly and those who have chronic disease problems. This kind of system will be of great value when it is used on the national information super-highways in the future. In order to get to that stage, of course, this project needs great improvement in the technical, academic, and legal aspects.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.111-119
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• 2007

Purpose: In this study consumers' preference for housing for elderly people was analyzed as well as the recognition by elders of silver town facilities, and their preference for service provided by silver town. The study was done to provide basic data for the development of silver town facilities that are low in cost and high in efficiency. Methods: A sample research was used in this study to analyze the understanding of old age, silver town, and service preference. Results: First, interest and intention to live in silver town was very positive, however low cost was also preferred and that is quite different to current silver towns of Korea. Second, women have more understanding of, requests for, and intention to move into silver town facilities than men. Women's demands for silver town facilities must be reflected in the development strategy of silver towns. Third, the most important part of activating silver town facilities is price strategy. Government political support is required in order to keep silver town move-in costs affordable. Fourth, silver towns must function as total service complex towns. Conclusion: This study is meaningful as efficient operation of silver town is suggested rather than facility degradation to achieve price reduction. This result is important to the development of silver towns based on consumer preference, as it suggests a development direction that is focused on securing differentiated services and programs.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.180-192
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to survey basic data for management of elderly day care centers. In this study, occupation, leisure life, and food, clothing and habituation, as well as social relationship, health state and behavior, and general characteristics of subjects were examined to identify the factors affecting their cognition, need and preference of the day care centers. The subjects of this study were 392 elderly, aged 60 years or over, living in Gangnung and neighboring districts. Data were collected by educated interviewers from November 4 through November 22, 2002. The subjects were interviewed face to face, one for one after the interviewee's agreements on the survey. The collected data were analysed with logistic regression analysis by SAS (statistical analysis system). Logistic regression analysis was done to identify affecting factors for cognition, need and preference of the elderly day care centers. The major findings are as follows: 1. The factors affecting cognition for the day care centers were analysed. The subjects with an occupation and a lower satisfaction level of living environment and friendship, who were economically secure enough to manage a sudden accident, showed a higher level of cognition of the day care centers. The subjects with a higher level of mental health state and a lower level of IADL also showed a higher level of cognition. On the general characteristics younger female subjects showed a higher level of cognition. 2. The subjects with a lower level of perceived economic condition who did not own their housing and were not economically safe enough to manage a sudden accident, had showed a higher level of need for the day care centers. It showed that the subjects with a high level of mental health state, a bad eye sight and dental condition, a good perceived health condition, and a lower level of IADL, needed the centers. 3. The subjects who had an occupation, however, not capable of making their own daily expenses, and a low occupation satisfaction level, and who did not own their housing, and were economically poor not enough to manage a sudden accident, showed a higher preference for the day care centers. The subjects with higher levels of friendship satisfaction and perceived health condition, not living with their spouse, and a higher education level, showed a higher preference for the centers. In conclusion, the common factors affecting their cognition, need and preference of the day care centers were occupation, economic security enough to manage accidents, and friendship satisfaction level. Especially, the subjects who had an occupation, however, not economically secure enough to manage accidents, and who did not live in their own housing with a good perceived health condition, showed high levels of need and preference for the day care centers. These results can be used as basic data to develop the efficient elderly day care centers, thus contribute to the elderly welfare in a local community.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.488-499
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• 2006

Purpose: Behavioral symptoms in dementia (BSD) are one of the most disturbing behaviors to caregivers and a major reason for nursing home placement. Behavioral symptoms are often treated with psychotropic drugs (PD), however, the effect of such drugs for the frail elderly dementia patient is not certain because of their critical adverse effects. Theoretical model applicable to nursing practice for BSD in nursing homes, which is essential in guiding and evaluating such interventions, is absent. This article presents the process of developing a theoretical model of BSD in nursing homes. Method: Using Walker and Avants' theory synthesis method, three behavior models and two system models were incorporated into the proposed model to provide the theoretical and analytical explanation of the relationships between PD usage, its determinants, and BSD. Results: Resident variables and nursing home variables related to the two focal concepts (i.e., PD usage and BSD) were identified. Resident variables include demographical characteristics such as age and gender, and dementia-compromised functions such as cognitive and functional impairment. Nursing home variables include facility characteristics such as ownership type and size, and physical and psychosocial environment. Conclusion: The proposed model suggests that fulfillment of resident unmet needs through improvement of physical and psychosocial environment may produce better health outcomes of nursing home residents with BSD. Assessment and intervening environmental triggers of such behaviors are also suggested to be prior to the PD usage.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.165-175
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• 2015

Korean medical welfare facilities for the elderly provide the conveniences to care geriatric illness such as dementia and stroke. The medical welfare facility categorizes elderly care facilities, nursing homes, and geriatrics hospitals based on the Korean welfare of the aged act. The government makes an effort to secure feed rate and finances of medical welfare facilities. However, the qualitative improvement of facilities is inadequate. The purpose of this study is to analyze the conditions and problems of existing facilities using an environmental evaluation and to discuss the improvement direction related to the daycare centers for the elderly. The method of this study is literature review and field survey. Firstly, we analyzed the previous studies to develop the tool, evaluating the environment of day care centers for the old. Secondly, the items of environmental evaluation are deduced. Thirdly, we select the facilities to conduct field survey and analyze the results of field survey. Lastly, We discussed the problems and improvement directions through the results. It is judged that this study is an useful as the basic guideline to strengthen the minimum legal standards of day care center for the elderly due to the suggestion of insufficient environmental evaluation items.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.611-619
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• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate changes in the mental functions of the elderly in nursing facilities affected by a horticultural therapy program based on validation therapy. To meet the purpose, we conducted a horticultural therapy program based on validation therapy with 58 elderly participants (average age 79.12±6.84, men and women) once a week, 50 minutes per session, in a total of 10 sessions. Participants were divided into the control and experimental group with convenience sampling. The program was carried out from March 15 to November 22, 2018. Vibraimage 8 pro(ELSYS, 2014) is a recent, psychologically based, emotional-recognition visual imaging technology that measures pixels microvibration in terms of digital frequency and amplitude parameters. To examine the effects of the horticultural therapy program based on validation therapy, Vibraimage was used to assess aggression, stress, tension, suspect, balance, charm, energy, self-regulation, inhibition, neuroticism and positive, negative, physiological domains of mental functions before and after program. As a result, the mean score of the positive domain in the control group significantly decreased from 63.89±5.09 to 60.74±5.48, but it decreased without statistical significance in the experimental group from 63.98±5.45 to 61.39±6.02. The mean score of neuroticism in the experimental group significantly decreased from 31.64±10.94 to 22.87±13.79. Moreover, the mean score of the physiological domain in the experimental group also significantly decreased from 25.08±6.27 to 19.42±8.80. Accordingly, horticultural therapy program based on validation therapy can be utilized as a program to promote mental health, especially maintaining positive mental health function of the eldery, helping those who live in long-term care facilities enjoy a happier life more happier.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.1273-1283
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• 1999

This study was done to explore the effects of dance therapy on pulmonary and cognitive functions in the elderly. The design of this study was a non-equivalent pre-post test experiment. The subjects consisted of elderly persons living in a facility located in Kyoungi-Do. Fifty eight subjects had normal cognition, sensory function and resting blood pressure. They underwent tests of pulmonary and cognitive function as baseline data before dance therapy, and at 6th week and at the end of 12nd week after following dance therapy. Twenty seven elderly persons were assigned to the experimental group and participated with the dance therapy. This therapy was based on the Marian Chace's dance therapy and Korean traditional dance with music. The dance therapy consisted of 50 minutes session, 3 times a week for 12 weeks. One session consisted of warming-up, expression, catharsis, sharing and closing stage. the intensity of the dance therapy was at the 40% of age-adjusted maximum heart rates. Data were analyzed with mean, standard deviation, Chi-square test, unpaired t-test, repeated measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni multiple regression using SAS program. The results were as follows : 1. Pulmonary function(forced expiratory volume at one second and forced vital capacity) of the experimental subjects significantly increased over time more than that of the control subjects. 2. The experimental group had significantly higher score for pulmonary function than the control group at the 12nd week after dance therapy. 3. Cognitive function of the experimental subjects significantly increased over time more than that of the control subjects. 4. The experimental group had significantly higher score for cognitive function than the control group at the 6th week and 12nd week after dance therapy. The findings showed the dance therapy could be effective in improving the pulmonary and cognitive function of the elderly.