• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.5-15
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• 2006

Purpose: The objectives of this study was to measure the outcomes of interventions on the health and social welfare of the elderly in a rural community in Korea. The project involved integrating services of one public health center with that of one social welfare agency, which were under different administrative structures. Method: A single group pretest-posttest design was used for this research. Seventy-five elderly residents living alone in a rural community participated in the study. All of them had coverage of free basic medical care and social welfare services by the government. Major activities for the intervention included: developing partnerships among community leaders/institutes; forming committees of community residents; educating care providers and volunteers; developing 8 integrated service programs and instruments; and organizing the networks. The 20-month intervention was care-managed by a public health nurse whom collaborated with social worker, and was assisted by volunteers. The t-test was utilized to analyze the outcome variables including the elder's health, social welfare and quality of life. A major limitation of this study was the lack of a control group. Results: The outcome of the intervention was shown by improved elder's health, social welfare needs, and quality of life. Integrating the services of public health centers with those of social welfare agencies is an effective way to improve the health of the elderly in the community. Conclusion: Developing community capacity with such integrated services will pay an important role in improving the health of the elderly who live alone.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.84-93
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an essential oil mouthrinse with gingival massage on oral health in community indwelling elderly. Method: The subjects were composed of 61 healthy elderly at a Senior Welfare Center in J city. Thirty subjects in the experimental group were given toothbrushing education ongingival massage toothbrushing with an essential oil mouthrinse for 2 weeks(4 times per day, 3 minutes per session). The 31 subjects in the control group were given toothbrushing education ongingival massage toothbrushing. The effects of the treatment were measured by salivary pH, salivary IgA level, halitosis, oral subjective symptoms, and oral self care behavior scores before, right after and 2 weeks after the experiment. Results: Salivary pH was significantly increased(p=0.018) in the experimental group. Salivary IgA levels were not significantly different between the experimental and control groups; however, IgA levels of the experimental group were significantly increased(p=0.006) after time had passed. Halitosis was significantly decreased(p=0.002) in the experimental group. Oral subjective symptom scores were significantly decreased(p=0.000) and oral self care behavior scores were significantly increased(p=0.000) in the experimental group. Conclusion: Regular gingival massage toothbrushing with an essential oil mouthrinse could be an effective oral health nursing intervention for the elderly.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2022.10a
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• pp.509-510
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• 2022

According to Elderly Long-term Care Insurance, MCI people can be provided cognitive program at dementia center and daycare center. However, Elderly Alone Household cannot be the proper beneficiaries in the insurance. Despite of increasing ederly alone household, consideration of daily life ability as well as easy-use cognitive program are not enough in the community. Therefore, this paper explores personal need and usability of ICT and VR cognitive program for elderly people in the community. Research results shows that elderly people are keenly interested in new technology. Especially human service and emotional bonding is very important contacting new device or technology.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.151-157
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of hand and foot baths on sleep and body temperature of the elderly. Methods: The research was designed for a nonequivalent control group before and after the test design. The subjects of this study totaled 43, aged 65 and over (23 people in hand bath group and 20 people in a foot bath group), who received a written voluntary consent to participate in experimental treatment and are in the W care center, S Nursing Home, and H care center in Seoul. Data were collected with questionnaires and observations, and were analyzed on the basis of frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, ${\chi}^2-test$, Fisher exact test, t-test and paired t-test. Results: There are no significant differences in homogeneity test of a dependent variable between groups (hand bath, foot bath). The differences between 2 groups on the sleep quality score and systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure temperature were not significant statistically except on the pulse. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, hand bath is as efficient as foot bath. Therefore, a hand bath can be a nursing intervention in order to enrich sleep quality for the elderly because a hand bath is more convenient than foot bath.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that affect quality of life in elderly people with dementia. Methods: The participants for this descriptive correlational study were 97 elderly patients with dementia who were attending a daycare center or were being cared for at home. Data were collected from the participants using the Mini-Mental Status Examination-Dementia Scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale (Short Form), Activity of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Scale. Results: There were statistically significant differences in quality of life of elders with dementia according to mobility, using dementia day-care center, and cohabitation. In multiple regression analysis, depression, activity of daily of living, using dementia day-care centers and cohabitation were significant predictors of quality of life and the four variables explained 60% of the variance in quality of life. Conclusion: Findings indicate that to enhance the quality of life for elders with dementia, depression needs to be decreased and regular use of daycare service recommended. Further, various programs enhancing physical ability need to be developed and used with these elders.

• Journal of Wellbeing Management and Applied Psychology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2021

Purpose: The number of people with disabilities and the elderly over 65 years of age is gradually increasing due to physical disabilities and social aging. Their typical physical disorders or chronic diseases include low back pain, sciatic pain, arthritis, and musculoskeletal systems such as discs. The average prevalence of disease is 78%. These are various physical obstacles and hindrances in daily life. Research design, data and methodology: From August 6, 2019 to September 24, 2019, the Senior Welfare Center in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, operated a healthy body exercise and health education program for living health management. Results: The vascular health index using U-Bio pulse wave was relatively good at the first average of +7.4, but the second average of -6.3. This can be seen as a result of the combination of diet and lifestyle education along with the effect of corrective exercise. As a result of body shape measurement analysis, the number of persons requiring management with 3 or more body imbalances was found to be from 75% before to 62.5% afterwards. Conclusions: Exercise effect appears when exercise lasts for at least 10 weeks. Some performances were good, but there were limitations due to the operation of a short training period.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.205-210
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• 2020

Objectives: Aging is assumed to be accompanied by greater health care expenditures. The objective of this retrospective, bottom-up micro-costing study was to identify and analyze the variables related to increased health care costs for the elderly from the provider's perspective. Methods: The analysis included all elderly inpatients who were admitted in 2017 to a hospital in Tehran, Iran. In total, 1288 patients were included. The Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used. Results: Slightly more than half (51.1%) of patients were males, and 81.9% had a partial recovery. The 60-64 age group had the highest costs. Cancer and joint/orthopedic diseases accounted for the highest proportion of costs, while joint/orthopedic diseases had the highest total costs. The surgery ward had the highest overall cost among the hospital departments, while the intensive care unit had the highest mean cost. No statistically significant relationships were found between inpatient costs and sex or age group, while significant associations (p<0.05) were observed between inpatient costs and the type of ward, length of stay, type of disease, and final status. Regarding final status, costs for patients who died were 3.9 times higher than costs for patients who experienced a partial recovery. Conclusions: Sex and age group did not affect hospital costs. Instead, the most important factors associated with costs were type of disease (especially chronic diseases, such as joint and orthopedic conditions), length of stay, final status, and type of ward. Surgical services and medicine were the most important cost items.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.72-78
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• 2018

Objectives The high suicide rate has risen as a main concern in South Korea. Given the complexity of the mechanism resulting in complete suicide, studies targeting various populations are needed for broader understanding of its risk factors. This study aims to analyze the factors affecting the suicidal tendency in the population of the elderly living alone in Seoul depending on basic elderly-care services. Methods A total number of 415 people participated in the study. Home-visit interviews were administered by trained interviewers. Suicidal tendency was measured by the Korean version of mini international neuropsychiatric interview (K-MINI). Health-related quality of life was measured by a brief version of the World Health Organization Quality-of-life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF). Alcohol problem was assessed by the Korean version of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT-K). Among total subjects of 415 interviewees, the actual responses of 408 people were used for the final analysis. Results The result showed that the suicide risk was high in persons isolated from social support [odds ratio (OR) = 4.49], having depression (OR = 14.85), and having low quality of life (OR = 4.39). Conclusions We found that social support, depression and health-related quality of life are associated with suicidal tendency in the elderly living alone on basic services. Our evidence will contribute to suicide prevention policy for the elderly living alone on care services.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.528-538
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to follow-up the frailty of the old who received home health care by Registered Nurse in Public Health Center over 8 years. Methods: We used the second wave data which was a comprehensive longitudinal data set, Public Health Information System of a public health center located in Seoul from 2010 to 2018. For statistical analysis, a mixed model of repeated measures by R program was used. Results: Frailty (range: 0~31) was getting worse significantly from 5.38 on registration to 6.54 on 4th year, 7.40 on 7th year, 7.69 on 8th year with adjustment for age, sex, economic status, the number of family, and the number diseases. The coefficient of parameters with frailty change was serviced year (β=0.29, p<.001), age (70~79 to 60~69; β=0.98, p=.018) and sex (female to male; β=2.55, p<.001). Conclusion: This study showed that the home visiting health service needs to take attention to aged 70s and over, female. The home health care of public health center need to be extended more practical and effective services in terms of 'community care'and 'ageing in place'.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.65-75
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was conducted to provide fundamental information for policy integration of the home health care system. Methods: Focused review was performed from 8 studies out of 48 literature related to home care needs. Results: Females utilized home care based on hospital and public health centers at a higher rate than males. While there had been more rate of the elderly above 60 year-old at hospital and community based home care, on the other hand below 45 year-old at public health center. The most common disease amongst users in all three types was cerebrovascular disease, the second was cancer based at hospitals, hypertension and arthritis at public health centers. There were more needs for those using artificial respiratory equipment, cancer patients, and puerpera. However, the needs for hospital and community based home care were very similar. Conclusions: Due to similar disease characteristics but varied severity at the three home care based settings, they should be managed with flexibility. Home care curriculum should be developed according to common disease type, and home care services should be strengthened for its expertise.