• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.31-55
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• 2004

The elder abuse draws an increasing concern as the elderly population grows rapidly, and increasing demands to provide long-term care to the impaired elderly are imposed on the families. This study compares Korean American elders' and their adult children's perceptions of possible elder abuse under care-giving situation, and related help-seeking behaviors using five scenarios developed by the author. The subjects consist of ten elders and their ten adult children including daughters-in-law who live in Los Angeles, the USA. Content analysis reveals very similar help-seeking behaviors of the two generations within the family despite the substanally generational difference towards the perceptions of elder abuse under care-giving situation. Mann-Whitney test shows a significant difference in the perceptions of elder abuse between the elderly and their adult children. It means that the elderly are substantially less likely to perceive a given situation as abusive than their adult children would. But there is no significant difference between the elderly and their adult children in their intended use of formal sources of help. Implications for gerontological social work practice and program development are discussed.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.5-13
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate compliance with prescribed medication in the elderly visiting public health centers. Method: Data were collected from 665 elders living in Seoul and the Gyeonggi Province during the period from February 21 to June 30 in 2006. The data were collected through individual interviews and were analyzed using correlation and multiple regression analysis with the SAS 9.1 program. Results: The mean of medication compliance was 2.97(${\pm}.68$) on a 5-point Likert scale. Specifically, compliance 3.14(${\pm}.70$) for medication dose, 2.94(${\pm}.77$) for medication frequency, and 2.84(${\pm}.79$) for medication time. The elderly with a higher level of education (${\beta}=.095$, p<.001), with health insurance (${\beta}=.208$, p=.0009) and with a higher level of family support (${\beta}=.040$, p=.0306) showed a higher level of mediation compliance. Female elders (${\beta}=.142$, p<.001) kept higher medication compliance than male ones. Conclusion: These findings suggest that people with low education, low socioeconomic status and less family support need more education before medication. The evaluation of medication compliance needs to be encouraged before starting medication to distinguish those who may not comply with medical prescription. Predictive factors identified in this study must be considered when designing interventions, program development and education for appropriate medication management for the elderly.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the experience of falls, the fear of falling and fall efficacy and identify the predictors of falls in the elderly at senior citizens' centers. Method: The subjects of this study were 106 elders who used senior citizens' centers in Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea. Data were collected from May to June, 2006 through a survey using a structured questionnaire. Result: Of the elderly sampled, 35.8% experienced falls during the last 1 year. Of falls experienced by the elderly, 53% occurred indoors, 47% outdoors, 15.8% in the bathroom or toilet. In addition, 57.8% of the elderly had injuries on the hip and waist related with falls. The fear of falling was higher in those with experience in falls than in those without. Factors affecting the elders' falls were age (OR=1.113, 95% CI=1.012-1.224), the number of chronic disease (OR=2.342, 95% CI=1.365-4.019) and the fear of falling (OR=4.279, 95% CI=1.901-9.634). The predictor of the frequency of falls was fall efficacy ($R^2=24.9$). Conclusion: As a result, it is essential to develop fall prevention programs based on the fear of falling, fall efficacy, chronic diseases and medication state. And in senior citizens' centers, fall prevention safety education should be activated as a health promotion program.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.57-65
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• 2010

The graying of population is not only a significant problem in developing countries, but also in a small country which is passing industrialization and urbanization. Industrialization and urbanization has raised a number of nuclear family. Moreover, changes in the environment and development in science such as a medical development and improving standard of health and hygiene have raised an average life expectancy. Considering these factors, average age of population is going up continue. Developed countries such as Europe, US and Japan have already experienced the graying and some countries have entered aged society. Korea is expected to be reached post-aged society in 7 years which is faster than developed countries that started aging society earlier than Korea. The purpose of this study is a analysis of resident's opinions and preference and using space of elders facilities and seeking a plan to construct the facilities through suggesting standard of use space. Firstly, this report will classify current situation of spacial organization on elder facilities focusing on major sectors and will compare in size. Moreover, standard of area distribution through an analyzing characteristics of each spacial organization. Secondly, The report will compare and analyze between space and main traffic line through classifying traffic lines between staffs and residents of elder facilities and understanding characteristics and problems of each traffic line. Lastly, this will study perception and preference on staffs at elders facilities and middle old aged people who are potential demander, and compare between these people.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2009

Purpose: We investigated the changes that effects of load stimulation (LS) on static balance and muscle activities in normal healthy elders and chronic stroke patients. Methods: Subjects were instructed twenty normal healthy elders (8 men and 12 women) and ten chronic stroke patients (4 men and 6 women). They were tested while standing on a force platform under two conditions; LS, no LS were applied in random order. Prior to testing, adhesive surface EMG electrodes were fastened to the skin overlying the right (non-paralytic side in stroke patient) bellies of tibialis anterior (TA) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles. They were assessed on postural sway and %MVC (Maximum voluntary contraction) of TA and LG. Results: Participants showed that the application of LS brought about a decrease in postural sway as expressed by average sway path and velocity. %MVC of TA and LG were increased. The application of LS to normal and stroke patients decreases postural sway during quite stance. Conclusion: These findings the application of LS to normal and stroke patients improves static balance.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.28-38
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• 2013

Objectives: This study aimed to collect information that will help enhance the social networks and improve the quality of life among elderly people by observing the relationship between their social network and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and by analyzing social network factors affecting HRQoL. Methods: This study was based on the 2008 Community Health Survey in Yeoncheon County. Three hundred elders were included in the study population. We compared the revised Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-R) score and Euro quality of life-5 dimensions health status index by demographic characteristics and chronic disease prevalence. We analyzed the data using multiple regression and tobit regression by setting the HRQoL as the dependent variable and social network and other characteristics as the independent variables. We analyzed social network factors by using factor analysis. Results: The LSNS-R score differed significantly according to age and existence of a spouse. According to the results from the hierarchical multiple regression analysis, the LSNS-R explained 0.10 of the variance and LSNS-R friends factor explained 0.10 of the variance. The tobit regression indicated that the contribution of the LSNS-R family size factor to the regression coefficient of the independent variable that affected the HRQoL was $B_T$=2.96, that of the LSNS-R family frequency factor was $B_T$=3.60, and that of LSNS-R friends factor was $B_T$=5.41. Conclusions: Social networks among elderly people had a significant effect on HRQoL and their networks of friends had a relatively higher effect than those of family members.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.412-421
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• 2019

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify the status of Successful Aging among the elderly aged 65 and over in rural areas and to compare factors related with Successful Aging between "kyung-ro-dang" users and non-users. Methods: A total of 181 elderly aged 65 or older were selected from four districts (Heung-upri, Mejiri, Sajerri, and Daeanri) of Wonju city. A survey method using face to face interviews was applied to collect information. Successful aging was measured on a 5-point Likert-type scale using the successful aging scale developed for the Korean elderly, which indicates the higher the score, the higher the level of successful aging. Descriptive statistics, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were computed; the level of significance was set at 5%. Hierarchical polynomial regression was applied to find out the factors associated with successful aging. Results: Of the total, 112 elders used kyung-ro-dang and 69 elders who did not use kyung-ro-dang. The level of successful aging of the elderly was higher among kyung-ro-dang users than non-users. The factors related to successful aging among kyung-ro-dang users were walking and social participation. Users who walk more than 4 times per week and social participation activities have a higher level of satisfaction. In the case of non-users, a higher level of monthly income, having a spouse, social support, and social participation associated with a higher level of successful aging. Conclusion: Monthly income, social participation, and social factors were found to be related to successful aging along with physical and mental health conditions among the elderly in rural areas. Therefore, it can be concluded that income, social as well as mental and physical factors, are more critical for successful aging in the rural community care in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.242-258
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• 2015

This study discusses spatial distribution of the silver towns in the Seoul metropolitan area and investigates how the residents recognize their silver towns through in-depth interviews. Nowadays there are many elders who prefer to live in urban downtown or suburb areas which can be connected with the places of their pre-retirement lives. Therefore, the silver towns in the Seoul metropolitan area have been increasing. The facilities are mainly located in northern part of Seoul and southern part of Gyeonggi province near the network of major express roads. Location and accessibility are more important than any other factors when the elderly contemplate moving into silver town. Silver town residents are likely to have meaningful times and positive identities by communicating with friends there. The elders aged 80 years or older living in silver towns think the silver towns as their home while 'young old' people complain their limited rights of decision making and they consider additional move.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.419-424
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• 2015

The entry of an aging society require a safety of senior citizens against emergency. However, a home and a residence of senior citizens should not consider a characteristic of safety and the unfortunate accidents could happen in the house or the residence. Especially if the elders live alone then they have a help function using a call button in a bathroom or a closed area. But, a sliding or an overbalance in a bathroom or a closed area of a home may happen suddenly how can require a help in real time. That is a very serious accident to senior citizens. In this paper, we developed the context-aware system using the various sensors for collecting the data which is an activities of daily living of elders and we designed the recognition method using case-based reasoning for detecting the anomaly and the emergency context in the bathroom or the closed area in house. After that, if the anomaly or the emergency are detected then it call to a family or a relative or an administration in real-time.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.346-357
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine an exercise program using a lay health leader for elderly participants. The test covered physical fitness (grip strength, static balance and complex movement abilities), depression, cognitive function and quality of life. Methods: A quasi- experimental study using a non-equivalent control group pre-post design was employed. The participants were 62 elders from an institution for the aged, of whom 30 were included in the experimental group and 32 in the control group. The exercise program using a resident volunteer as a lay health leader was run three times a week for 12 weeks. The collected data were analyzed by $x^2$ test, t-test, paired t-test, and ANCOVA with SPSS/WIN 19.0. Results: After the program, left grip strength (F=1.77, p<.001), right grip strength (F=9.97, p<.001), static balance (F=2.79, p<.001), ability to move complex (F=1.76, p<.001), depression (F=7.66, p<.001), the cognitive function (F=8.39, p<.001) and quality of life (F= 1.08, p<.001) in the experimental group were significantly better than those in the control group. Conclusion: Study findings indicated that using a resident volunteer as a lay health leader was effective. It can be recommended as a public health resource and for consistent and comfortable education for the elderly in communities.