• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.170-186
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• 2013

As the population is getting older, medical expenses amount of the whole is keep increasing. So, the pressure of the finances, Health Insurance, Medical Care Assistance Act and etc, is getting higher. The share of healthcare-expense is increasing due to elderly illness. And it became a social problem; we analysed present state of senior healthcare in South Korea-looked into current laws and policies, and found problems. We tried to suggest improvements that drew from the current state of foreign country senior healthcare of those problems. For the result, we found the problem in relevant-law system of senior healthcare guarantee. In this study, we proposed the ways to qualitatively upgrade of medical standard that considered on elderly' features: the strengthened guarantee for healthcare, financial secure for long-term convalescence benefit, linking and functional reinforcement for elderly welfare and long-term convalescence insurance, the solution for overlapped laws about convalescence in long-term convalescence insurance and elderly welfare, a betterment of grading, and a home service consolidation. We need to secure right amount of emergency medical service budget, and effective management system for the improved level of senior severely emergency medical service. Furthermore, we suggested that South Korea needs to legislate [The Law for Senior Medical Secure] to respond to rapidly increasing senior healthcare fee.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.244-253
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• 2020

This study aimed to assess the factors affecting the level of happiness and a sense of happiness among senior men and women, including sociodemographic characteristics, health behavior, subjective health level, and healthcare utilization, using the 2017 Community Health Survey (CHS). A total of 67,835 older adults were enrolled for the study, 27,979 males and 39,856 females. The results showed that education level and total household income affected the happiness in female elderly, while having a spouse increased happiness in male elderly. In addition, both male elderly and female felt a great of happiness when they had good health behaviors, perceived themselves to be in good health, and had no restrictions with healthcare utilization. Subjective health status and healthcare utilization seem to have a substantial impact on happiness because older adulthood is a period marked with increased physical vulnerability compared to other age groups due to diminished physiological functions. Based on these results, the government should expand subsidies for welfare for the aged to provide lifelong education opportunities and the existing elderly education and programs in health-related organizations should reflect the characteristics of the elderly. Furthermore, social service systems and programs related to the elderly should be re-evaluated so as to develop services and programs tailored to the elderly to promote their happiness more effectively.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.41-50
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• 2009

Studies about architectural planning for elderly residences have been carried out to examine various factors including the unit plan, site planning, and size planning. However, no studies have been undertaken that focus on the residents' daily life patterns. This study offers the design guidelines to support the daily life patterns of the elderly through the planning of elderly housing. For this study, elderly residents in Tokyo, Yokohama etc. in Japan were interviewed and surveyed. The results indicate that the changes to the daily life patterns of the residents living in elderly housing are the reduction of household, the increase of free time, and the change of social relationships. The elderly want to utilize their free time and focus on their social relationships. However, the elderly residences that we surveyed pay no consideration to social spaces and programs for their residents except for the cafeteria. To support the daily life patterns of the elderly, elderly housing should set a high value on the location, shared spaces, and unit plans of the residences in order to consider the personal diversity of the residents. Accessibility to public transportation systems and facilities should to be considered in the initial location planning. The revitalization of the public spaces should to be considered during the architectural planning stage. Considerations of personal taste during the unit planning stage are also necessary.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2014

Health care services in a residential area would accelerate the aging in place. In addition, these changes would play a key role in terms of reducing healthcare costs and leading a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this study draws the design methodology of community facilities and each dwelling with healthcare services in apartment complex, which the elderly people will enjoy a better health status. This paper presents the result focused on the welfare building in Gayang 7th apartment complex. The intention to receive healthcare services was investigated by occupants. Moreover, design requirements were drawn through in-depth interviews and the state observation to use the service. In the complex, stronger intention to serve the u-Healthcare services was shown to the pre elderly group than the elderly. Both of them had a problem to use and keep the health equipment due to the fact there is not enough space in the unit. Reporting the observation results, the upright-posture furniture attaching the healthcare equipment and the equipment storage should be prepared in the unit. In the public space, the program for these healthcare services can be divided into three parts, i.e. the health status measurement, the healthcare, and the service connected to the surrounding facilities. The health status measurement can be the basic to the health services and its function should be gradually extended. In the complex, the hybrid type with various functions could be applied owing to a new building for welfare; moreover, semi-independent user should be able to receive the home healthcare service.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2014

Purpose: Healthy and balanced meal is very important for the elderly to maintain the quality of life in community. Senior meal delivery system and congregate meal services have been played an important role to prevent premature institutionalization of the elderly. Food delivery system and lunch service spaces for the Korean elderly were mostly focused and limited on low-income family. The purpose of this study is to analyze community food services environments for the elderly in the UK, the U.S. and Japan for the possibility of applying those service spaces to Korean community. Methods: Lunch service spaces of these three countries were investigated by literature research and visiting of venues. Pilot study of the elderly meal services in Seoul was done for comparing environments and future research. Results: Lunch service spaces in three countries were mostly community based for accessibility and the types of management were various for the elderly to choose the most suitable services for them. The group dining spaces are usually small and designed to give de-institutional atmosphere. Implications: Food service environments for the elderly in Korea should develop more community based model of food delivery and congregate meal service spaces as well as more de-institutionalized design of those spaces.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.62-71
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study is to analyze the current status and factors of elderly patients' hospitalization for hip replacement, knee replacement, and general spine surgery. Methods: National health insurance data in 2018 was provided by the National Health Insurance Service. We used multiple regression to analyze factors associated with the medical utilization of hip replacement, knee replacement, and general spine surgery in elderly patients over 65 years old. The dependent variables are the length of stay and total health expenditure. The independent variables are the demographic-social factors (sex, age, region, insurance type, income level) and surgery-related factors (institution type, location of the hospital, surgery classification). Results: The most common factor affecting surgery was the location of medical institutions. Compared with the medical institutions located in metropolitan, the length of stay in rural medical institutions was higher and total health expenditure was lower. The lower quartile of income, the higher the length of stay and total health expenditure. In addition, the variables of age, type of health insurance, and type of medical institution were statistically significant. Conclusion: In this study, we confirmed the effect of sociodemographic factors and medical institution factors on the Healthcare Utilization of spinal and joint surgery.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.5 no.9
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• pp.97-106
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• 1999

Korean society is facing the situation in which it has to dramatically increase the supply of healthcare facilities for the elderly in the near future. Recently many nursing homes and geriatric hospitals have been supplied all over the country. But the data for planning and design of the facilities are very insufficient in Korea. So this paper aims to present the basic data for planning and design of skilled nursing homes. To do this we surveyed and analyzed 10 skilled nursing home facilities, and then present the compiled data from this analyses.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.1090-1105
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• 2012

A multi-modal sensing M2M healthcare monitoring system for the continuous monitoring of patients under their natural physiological states or elderly persons with chronic diseases is summarized. The system is designed for homecare or the monitoring of the elderly who live in country side or small rest home without enough support from caregivers or doctors, instead of patient monitoring in big hospital environment. Further insights into the natural cause and progression of diseases are afforded by context-aware sensing, which includes the use of accelerometers to monitor patient activities, or by location-aware indoor tracking based on ultrasonic and RF sensing. Moreover, indoor location tracking provides information about the location of patients in their physical environment and helps the caregiver in the provision of appropriate support.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.29-38
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to generate empirical data regarding the usability of churches' convenience facilities for the elderly, while categorizing church architecture as intermediate, inner, sanitation, and other facilities. The generated data can be used for renovating or upgrading the existing churches' convenience facilities to match up the act on convenience promotion. Methods: Field studies were conducted for collecting the empirical data from 42 churches. Results: Specifically, intermediate and sanitation facilities were more urgent sections, needing serious improvement works for the elderly. In the inner facilities, 14 categories were counted as not-met(NM) or not-installed(NI) among total 26 categories. In the other facilities, 11 categories were found as not-met(NM) or not-installed(NI) among total 15 categories. Implications: The research results can be used as a checklist for the improvement of convenience facilities for the elderly in existing churches.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.4 no.7
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• pp.75-84
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• 1998

Like all other European countries, as a result of gradual industrialization, Germany is just before the start of new social system; the so-called 'aged society'. Over half of the century, Germany focused their welfare system on facilities. However, with the start of the new 'aged society', they introduced a new concept which consists mainly on home care and community care. These new concepts resulted from the general idea that even elderly have the right to live an independent quality life. Therefore, to satisfy the elderly with such life it has been seen as necessary not only to offer them efficient protection but to introduce an economical welfare system and facility scheme. The regional integration plan for welfare is one of the open schemes in which the lifestyle of the elderly are seen as the whole. Participated by several members and specialists of all social standings, necessary facilities are planned. By looking into a project example carried out in Germany, this study is aimed to increase the quality of the elderly welfare system and facility construction plan.