• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.137-149
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• 2021

Objective : This study aimed to verify the effectiveness of ICT-Living Lab-based programs to promote the health of elderly residents in small and medium-sized cities, thus, providing basic data for solving the health and quality of life problems faced by modern society. Methods : The tow-month program included 14 elderly individuals visiting senior center located in W City, from October to November 2019. The program was organized by consulting four senior experts and one ICT expert. The program consisted of 10 min for advance assessment, 10 min for preparation activities, 30 min for main activities, and 10 min for finishing, and 60 min for eight sessions over two months, once a week. Results : EQ-5D increased from 0.76 to 0.84, compared to pre-assessment(p=.009^*). EQ-VAS scores increased from 36.43 to 65.71 (p=.001^*). MMSE-DS increased from 21.21 to 24.14 (p=.000^*). SGDS-K decreased from 3.36 to 3.21, but this was not statistically significant (p=.854). Conclusion : The ICT·Living Lab-based program could be used as a basic material for future research as one of the ways to improve health and quality of life by preventing and addressing the problems faced by the elderly in modern society.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.111-122
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• 2011

Purpose: The aim on this study was to establish the validity, reliability and efficiency of a Pain Self-Report Scale for elderly with dementia and compare these results with an observational pain rating scale. Methods: Study subjects were 136 elderly with dementia who were residents in a nursing home, geriatric hospital, or day care center. The subject's pain was measured by five self-report scales and observational scale. DS-DAT (discomfort scale-dementia of the Alzheimer's type) was used for pain behavior observational measure. Cognitive state was assessed using the MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination). Results: Observational rating correlated moderately with self-report (r=.225~.585, p<.05) and tended to underestimate pain intensity. Test-retest reliability was high for all five self-report scales, and the correlation between these scales was very strong (r=.735~.856, p<.05). Comprehension rate of VDS (verbal descriptor scale) was 88.3%, and NRS (numeric rating scale) 69.9%, FPS (face pain scale) 66.9%, HVAS (horizontal visual analog scale) and VVAS (vertical visual analog scale) 65.4%. Conclusion: Nurses should not apply observational scales routinely in demented patients as many of these are capable of reporting their own pain. Self-report, the highest standard of pain measurement can be reliably performed in a large proportion of demented elderly.

• 한국체육학회지인문사회과학편
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.263-272
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• 2018

This study examined the association of gait variability and physical fitness with frailty status in older women. In a cross-sectional design, 168 elderly women, aged 65 years and older (75.07±5.40 years), measured body composition, gait parameters gait variability, physical fitness variables, MMSE-DS and CES-D. Subjects were classified as robust, pre-frail, and frailty based on the Fried et al.(2001) criteria for frailty weight loss, exhaustion, low hand-grip strength, low gait speed, and physical inactivity. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of frailty status for having gait variability and physical fitness levels. Compared to the robust group (OR=1), the frailty group had significantly higher ORs of having terminal double limb stance (OR=1.48, 95% CI=0.10-2.21, p=.049), step cadence (OR=2.06, 95%CI=1.20-3.43, p=.009) variability, and significantly lower ORs of having upper-strength (OR=0.49, 95%CI=0.31-0.77, p=.002) even after adjusting for age, education, comorbidity, K-IADL, MMSE-KC and CES-D score. The finding of this study suggested that terminal double limb stance, step cadence and upper body muscular strength were independent predictors of frailty.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.8
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• pp.265-272
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• 2018

This study is a descriptive study to investigate the factors influencing the level of cognitive function among elderly living alone according to the presence of dementia risk factors. We conducted a simple questionnaire, GDS-K and MMSE-DS tests to investigate the risk of dementia among 143 elderly people living alone in the community. The results showed that the major factors influencing the cognitive function of the elderly people living alone were education, age, depression status, smoking, leisure activities, and gender. In order to develop strategies for the prevention of dementia in the elderly people living alone, it is necessary to change lifestyle and provide various management methods to identify risk factors that negatively affect cognitive function and to help cognitive health.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.114-122
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the effect of integrated nursing using cognicise and neurofeedback on cognition and α waves among elderly individuals. Methods: This quasi-experimental single group pretest-posttest study included 29 Korean adults aged 65 years or older who participated at a senior welfare center in Y city from February to May 2019. Each integrated nursing session consisted of cognicise (10 minutes) and neurofeedback (20 minutes). Subjects participated twice a week for 10 weeks. Structured questionnaires to assess participants' general characteristics and the Korean version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination for Dementia Screening (K-MMSE-DS) were applied. Alpha waves were measured using BrainMaster. Results: Following the integrated nursing program, alpha waves improved in F3 (t=2.41, p=.023), C3 (t=3.00, p=.006), C4 (t=2.60, p=.015), P3 (t=2.43, p=.022), O1 (t=2.30, p=.029), T3 (t=3.05, p=.005), T4 (t=2.28, p=.030), T5 (t=2.91, p=.007), Fz (t=2.30, p=.029), Cz (t=2.73, p=.011), and Pz (t=2.23, p=.034). Most subjects experienced improvement in concentration after participating in the intervention. Conclusion: This study provides evidence for the use of a neuroscientific approach including brain wave measurement to improve cognitive health among community-living elderly people.

• Journal of the Korean society of biological therapies in psychiatry
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.209-217
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• 2018

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of suicidality among community-dwelling elderly. Methods : The participants were 2,201 elderly people whose ages were over 65. The participants were asked to complete questionnaires, including Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview(MINI), module C, Short Geriatric Depression Scale of Korean version(SGDS-K), Korean Geriatric Anxiety Inventory(K-GAI), The Korean Health Status Measure for Elderly V 1.0, Korean version of Mini-Mental Status Examination for Dementia Screening(MMSE-DS). Their sociodemographic factors were investigated. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test and the logistic regression test to examine the relationship between suicidality and participants' risk factors. Results : The prevalence rate of suicidality was 23.3%. In multiple logistic regression, depressive symptoms (OR=3.301, 95% CI : 2.453-4.440), anxiety symptoms(OR=3.289, 95% CI : 2.515-4.303), low physical function (OR=1.606, 95% CI : 1.229-2.098), no spouse(OR=1.571, 95% CI : 1.037-1.690), elderly aged 80 years or older (OR=1.506, 95% CI : 1.094-1.740) were independently associated with suicidality. Conclusion : Suicidality in community-dwelling elderly was quite high, particularly related to depressive symptoms. The results of this study can be useful for development of community-based prevention and management programs for suicidality.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.389-404
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• 2019

The present study aims to examine the relationship between self-reported sensory impairment and cognitive function among older adults in Korea. Drawn from the 2017 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs Korean Older Persons, a total of 10,082 adults aged 65 and over were included in analyses. Results from hierarchial multiple regression analysis show that those who reported greater subjective discomfort about vision, hearing, and oral function were more likely to have poor cognitive function. Results from hierarchial logistic regression analysis show. Results from logistic regression analysis show that having hearing and oral discomfort increased the a risk for dementia. Findings suggest that it is necessary to manage sensory function of the elderly at the government level and to develop self-evaluation tools to monitor changes in sensory function for older adults. Future research should target finding effective ways to improve health of older adults.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.57-68
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of a short-term group multimodal intervention program that mixes physical activity, cognitive motion, and social interaction, on the cognitive function and depression level of healthy over 75-year-old individuals. Method: This study used a one group pre-test-post-test design, and intervention was made for 70 minutes per session, once a week, for four sessions in total. To compare changes in cognitive function, depression level and physical function before and after intervention, this study used the Mini-Mental State Examination-Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS), Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS-SF), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Result: After applying group multimodal interventions to healthy over 75-year-old individuals, there was a statistically significant improvement in their cognitive function (p < 0.01), and there was a statistically significant decrease in their depression level (p < 0.05). Also, there was an increase in the rating score of the degree of balance from $46.83{\pm}9.11$ points before the intervention, to $48.08{\pm}7.00$ points after the intervention; however, it was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Short-term group multimodal intervention that mixes physical activity, cognitive motion, and social interaction had a significant effect on slowing down the deterioration of cognitive function in healthy over 75 year-old individuals, and decreased their depression level. This study is significant in that it presents a foundation for providing more systematic intervention for the prevention of dementia and depression in the healthy older individuals. Follow-up studies should verify the result through research on the effects of an occupational therapist's professional treatment, and experimental group-control research.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.37-52
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• 2020

Objective : This study was conducted to identify occupational therapists working in public health centers, the characteristics and actual conditions of occupational therapists in the community, and use them as basic data on occupational therapists in the community as of 2020. Methods : 77 questionnaires were replied by e-mail from OTs work at nationwide health public centers. Job characteristics and status were analysed by descriptive statistics and check correlation between job satisfaction and other factors. Results : Most survey respondents were female(77.9%) and 20-30(96.1%).. Some occupational therapists worked for dementia related team(72.7%) and others worked for like visiting care, health care, and rehabilitation center etc. Rate of experiences of public health center was 1-2 years(67.5%), the most common type of contract was flexible part-time worker(61%) and work intensity(94.8%) and satisfaction of work was very high(85.7%). The highest difficulty of their job was budget administrative work(26.7%) and of non-work difficulty was inequality under contracts(27.2%). They usually participated at dementia shelter, visiting OT, group OT. Difficulty of their job was high in budget administration, dementia shelters, and visiting work treatments. Goals of treatment were high in improvement of cognitive ability and, family support. Frequency of treatment was high in improvement of cognitive therapy, family support, and evaluation. Occupational therapy targets for health centers were dementia, the general elderly, and adult brain lesions, including those for ordinary people, psychiatric disorders and children. It was found that the primary occupations for evaluation were nurses (35.7%) and occupational therapists (33.7%), and that MMSE-DS, SGDS, and SMCQ were used a lot. Conclusion : This study could identify the job characteristics and status of community OTs. We hope that this result could be basic data for building expertise and role for community OTs in changing situations like community cares.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.180-190
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influencing factor of the quality of life of the elderly with mild dementia in rural community. Methods: A total of 123 elderly who were managed by public health center participated. They were diagnosed as mild dementia by MMSE-DS and CDR. Data were collected during the period from May to September in 2017 by a structured questionnaire that included general characteristics, depression, dependence, comorbidity, sleep scale. Data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Results: The quality of life was correlated significantly with depression. Depression was the factor affecting the quality of life of the elderly with mild dementia in rural community. Depression accounted for 54.0% as a variable of quality of life. Conclusion: This study was meaningful in that it directly measured the quality of life of the elderly with mild dementia is known to be difficult to measure and found meaningful results. it is necessary to identify the cause of depression and establish a linkage system between public health centers and health related organizations in the community. We suggest the need for individualized preventive intervention program and integrated psychological health service considering depression.