• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.70-79
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• 1988

This study was designed to investigate the nature and magnitude of disability among non-institutionalized elderly in urban area(Seoul city). From November 1987, through December 1987, 1,054 individuals aged over 65 years from the sampled of clustered random sampling method were interviewed in person. The physical disability findings support the well known relationship between physical disability and age. The magnitude of disability, however, is not as great as conventional wisdom might suggest. And this paper reports results on the prevalence of social disability : housekeeping transportation, food prepatation, grocery shopping, social interaction, intellectual activity, and social role. The magnitude of social disability increase with advancing age. Women, in general, report a higher degree of social disability than man. These findings are compared with other investigations of physical and social disability among the elderly.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.27-57
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• 1994

The objective of running a long-term care institution is to provide services helpful for maintaining, supporting, and improving elderlies' optimum level of physical, mental, and psychosocial functioning. For the purpose of analyzing the current situations of institutional long term care facilities in Korea, 27 facilities were selected proportionately from each of the cities and provinces, out of the total 152 facilities. About 20% of those who were institutionalized during 25 August through 2 Qctober 1993, the 391 elderlies were chosen on a systematic random basis. The instrument of this study was developed by modifying the tools of CARE, MAI and PCTC. A multivariate approach of discriminant analysis and clustering technique were employed for this study. The Stiudy reveals that there is no clear differentiation of goals and functions among the longterm care institutions in Korea. Staffing patte군 of long-term care facilities shows a shortage of nurses, physical therapists, and dieticians. The linkage between acute care facilities and long-term care is weak, and administration of long-term care faciltiy is carried out by non-professionals. They are responsible for assessing health status before entering the facility, and evaluating elderlies' care. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that most of the facilities have accommodated agede regardless of their real needs and health status. Based upon findings of the analysis, this study has classified long-term care facilities into four types : Type I is to help elderlies maintain independence in daily living activities. Type II facilities have the objective of maintaining and improving the current level of elderlies' function. Type III is to maintain maximum independence of elderlies in activities of daily living. And Type IV is identified for the group of facilities designed to restore or improve functional abilities of elderlies. In conclusion, the following suggestions are made : the need for long-term care should be assessed by multidimensional measurement. Institutional long-term care facilities should be classified and developed in response to type of type of care and service need. Both acute and long-term care facilities should be linked together in order to support the evaluation of service operation and program development.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.334-342
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Tai Chi exercise on flexibility, balance, walking ability, muscle strength, bone mineral density, and fracture risk in institutionalized elders. Method: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a nonequivalent comparison group was utilized, and 53 older adults living in one institution were recruited and assigned to one of two groups, experimental group (18) or comparison (20). Both groups completed posttest measures at 6 months. There was a 31% rate of dropouts. Tai Chi exercise was provided twice a week for 24 weeks. Outcome measurements were conducted by a physiotherapist at a university hospital health promotion center who did not know the group assignment. Results: At 6 months, the experimental group had significantly greater grip strength(t=2.12, p=.04), back muscle strength (t=2.42, p=.02), balance (t=5.31, p<001), and flexibility (t=3.57, p<.001). They also showed significantly greater bone mineral density of lumbar spine and femur, and reduced fracture risk. Conclusion: Tai Chi exercise was safely and effectively used with institutionalized elders for 6 months and significantly improved physical fitness, bone mineral density along with a reduction in fracture risk. Whether Tai Chi exercise would lead to prevention of fall episodes and fall related fractures in this population will require further study.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.427-437
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to test effects of a cognition activation program on ADL, cognitive functions, depression, and QOL in the institutionalized elderly. Methods: The subjects were 40 elders who were admitted to a nursing home, with 20 of them in the experimental group and the other 20 in the control group. Data were collected from September 1 to December 17, 2012. The experimental group participated in a 12 week intervention program. ADL, cognitive functions, depression, and QOL were measured before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed by t-test and regression analysis of the SPSS and AMOS programs. Results: ADL (t=2.468, p=.017), depression (t=-2.625, p=012), and QOL (t=2.428, p=.020) were more significantly improved in the experimental group than in the control group, but there were no statistical differences in cognitive function between the two groups. Cognitive functions had positive effects on ADL (CR=-2.263, p=.024) and depression affected QOL (CR=-7.248, p<.001). Conclusion: The intervention program had positive effects on ADL, depression, and QOL except cognition. Cognitive functions of elders dramatically decrease after age 85, and it takes too much time to improve it. Therefore the program for the improvement of cognitive functions should be provided as early as possible.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.480-488
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• 2016

This study examined the levels of ADL and IADL among elderly people who were institutionalized in long-term care facilities and determined their association with socio-demographic characteristics, health status, and health related behaviors. Interviews were performed, during the period from June 1 to July 31, 2015, to 205 elderlies received from long-term care service. As a results, the total mean score was $16.67{\pm}2.11$ for ADL (range: 6~8) and $15.13{\pm}3.79$ for IADL (range: 7~21). The selected factors associated with ADL were with or without a spouse, frequency of going out, subjective health status, and mastication ability. The factors associated with ADL were selected, such as gender, with or without a spouse, frequency of going out, subjective health status, disability of body, and amnesia. In conclusion, the level of ADL and IADL in the elderly people selected from long-term care insurance were influenced by the socio-demographic characteristics, health status and health-related behaviors.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.49-61
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of the Group Reminiscence Counseling on ego integrity, depression and death anxiety of the institutionalized compared to the home stay elderly. This study is conducted for 16 weeks from March 9, 2010 to June 22, 2010. The subjects of experimental group consisted of 14 elderly persons of G city. The control group consisted 13 who matched in D city. The experimental group was provided with group 60 minutes session once a week during 16 weeks. The results of this study were first, the experimental group showed higher statistically significant mean scores than control in ego integrity. second, the experimental group showed lower statistically significant mean scores than control in depression and death anxiety. Based on the above results, elder's ego integrity was improved, elder's depression and death anxiety were decreased after reminiscence counseling. it is expected that the group reminiscence counseling can be used as one program to improvement the psychological well-being of the elderly.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.329-337
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• 2007

Purpose: Increasing numbers of Koreans have immigrated to the United States since the late 1960s. The first generation of Korean immigrants or their parents become old and institutionalized in American nursing home setting. Although the Korean elders would experience many cultural differences in the nursing home, no study to date has investigated their everyday lives on how they live through their later lives within a different cultural environment from their own. Methods: Using ethnographic methodology, the purpose of this paper was to illustrate Korean residents' experiences and daily lives in a nursing home located in an east coastal city in the U.S. Participant observation, filed notes, semi-structured interviews were utilized by means of data collection. Eighteen Korean residents were observed, and five of them and two nurses participated in informal qualitative interviews. Results: The overriding theme from the findings is "thrown in a different world." Three sub-themes include "constant struggles in making themselves understood", "dealing with culturally inappropriate nursing care," and "maintaining their own ways of life". Conclusions: The discovered themes reflect culturally isolated lives of the participants and open a venue for designing a culturally congruent nursing care for Korean elders living in the U.S. nursing homes.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.5-13
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• 2007

Purpose: This study focused on the health conditions and satisfaction in day-to-day life of elders using welfare facilities where there is no charge, and thus provides basic data for development of quality services required for health enhancement and a variety of demands from these elders. Method: The participants in the study were 140 elders selected at random from facilities for elders in Taegu. The tools for the study were the Korean Health Status Measure for the Elderly (Shin, H. C., 2002), and Yoon's "Criteria of Older Adults Life Satisfaction"(1982). Results: Differences in life satisfaction were found according to general characteristics of the elders, and that a lack of caretaker professionalism and relationships with other elders, but not the program were scored lower. In the correlation between health status and life satisfaction, it was found that emotional, social function and physical pain showed correlations with life satisfaction. Conclusion: It is necessary for the enhancement of health status of these elders and improvement in life satisfaction that a variety of nursing interventions be implemented.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.36-49
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• 2000

Evaluation of nutritional status is an essential element in providing appropriate intervention strategies to achieve the highest level of health, Nutritional assessment of the older population is complicated by many factors which do not significantly affect the nutritional status in young adults, therefore, it should be considered in two ways; community-dwelling elders group and hospitalized or institutionalized elderly group. To sort out the individuals with nutritional problems in a community efficiently, nutrition screening tools must be simple, relatively inexpensive, and applicable to a large number of subjects. Combination of tools and indicators such as 24-hour food recall, body weight and height, and questionnaires on eating practices, and the presence of chronic diseases is practically applicable as basic tools of nutritional screening of older age group. However, the lack of validated screening techniques remains a barrier in improving nutrition. Validation is only limited to energy, BMI, protein intake of the older populations living in western countries. Further refinement of nutritional assessment tools is demanded to figure out whether those are practically applicable to community-living older adults in Asian Society. A careful and systematic evaluation of nutritional assessment tools should be carried out prior to implementation of stepwise nutrition service to the heterogeneous older population. For an in-depth nutritional assessment at the individual level, we need to extend research efforts to clarify the requirements of nutrients due to aging and diseases. More cost-effective method that will allow rapid analysis of survey results are needed so that information can be readily available to policymakers.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.65-77
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• 2008

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with the self-rated health status of the elderly and whether these factors were different from younger adults. Methods: An interview survey was conducted on non-institutionalized adults in Wonju City, Korea. Determinants of self-rated health status were identified and compared between individuals aged 19 to 64 years and those aged 65 years and over, using an ordered logistic regression conducted separately on these two groups. Participants were 1,685 younger adults and 188 elderly people. Self-rated health status was measured along a continuous scale from 0 to 100 (0 for the worst and 100 for the best they could imagine) and then binned into 11 categories. Results: Self-rated health status of the elderly in Wonju was associated with household income, education, bereavement, adequate sleep, daily and social life being affected by poor health status, mobility, and anxiety and depression. Household income, adequate sleep, and participation in social activities were significant only in the elderly, while some factors associated with the self-rated health status of younger adults, such as rural dwelling, regular exercise, living alone, and skipping breakfast were not significant in the elderly. Conclusion: In order to improve the health of the elderly in Wonju City, it would be necessary to develop programs addressing those specific needs of the elderly and to integrate them effectively in the Healthy City projects.