• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.958-969
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• 1998

In this study, we attempted to investigate the needs and problems of the terminal cancer patients and their family caregivers to provide them with nursing information to improve their quality of life and prepare for a peaceful death. Data was collected from August 1, 1995 to July 31, 1996 at the internal medicine unit of S hospital in Seoul area with the two groups of participants who were family members of terminal cancer patients seventy four of them were in-patients and 34 were out-patients who were discharged from the same hospital for home care. The research tool used in this study has been developed by selecting the questionnaires from various references, modifying them for our purpose and refining them based on the results of preliminary study. While general background information about the patients was obtained by reviewing their medical records, all other information was collected by interviewing the primary family caregivers of the patients using the questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed with the SPSS PC/sup +/ program. The results of this study are summarized as follows ; 1) Most frequently complained symptoms of the terminal cancer patients were in the order of pain(87%), weakness(86.1%), anorexia(83.3%) and fatigue (80.6%). 2) Main therapies for the terminal cancer patients were pain control (58.3%), hyperalimentation(47.2%) and antibiotics(21.3%). 3) Special medical devices that terminal cancer patients used most were oxygen device (11.1%), and feeding tube(5.6%). Other devices were used by less than 5% of the patients. 4) The mobility of 70.4% of the patients was worse than ECOG 3 level, they had to stay in bed more than 50% of a day. 5) Patients wanted their medical staffs to help relieve pain(45.4%), various physical symptoms(29.6%), and problems associated with their emotion(11.1%). 6) 16.7% of the family caregivers hoped for full recovery of the patients, refusing to admit the status of the patients. Also, 37% wished for the extension of the patient's life at least for 6 months. 7) Only 38.9% of the family members was preparing for the patient's funeral. 8) 45.4% of family caregivers prefer hospital as the place for the patient's death, 39.8% their own home, and 14.8% undetermined. 9) Caregivers of the patients were mostly close family members, i.e., spouse(62%), and sons and daughters or daughter-in-laws(21.3%). 10) 43.5% of the family caregivers were aware of hospice care. 46.8% of them learned about the hospice care from the mass media, 27.7% from health professionals, and the rest from books and other sources. 11) Caregivers were asked about the most difficult problems they encounter in home care, 41 of them pointed out the lack of health professionals they can contact, counsel and get help from in case of emergency, 17 identified the difficulty of finding appropriate transportation to hospital, and 13 stated the difficulty of admission in hospital as needed. 12) 93.6% of family caregivers demanded 24-hour hot line, 80% the visiting nurses and doctors, and 69.4% the volunteer's help. The above results indicate that terminal patients and their family caregivers demand help from qualified health professionals whenever necessary. Hospice care system led by well-trained medical and nursing staffs is one of the viable answers for such demands.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.467-486
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• 1993

Today, more chronically ill and handicapped people are being cared for at home by a family member caregiver. The task of caring for a family momber may mean that the caregiver has less time and money and more work which may result in increased fatigue and symptoms of illness. This study was done to examine the well-being of family caregivers. Fifty three family caregivers were interviewed. Concepts were measured using existing tools and included : Burden(25 item 5 point scale), Social sup-port (21 item 7 point scale), Health status defined by a symptom checklist(48 item S point scale), and Well -being defined by a quality of life scale (14 item 7 point scale) and caregiving activities. Data collection was done by interview and Q-sort. Social support and well - being were positively correlated as were symptoms and burden. Symptoms and burden were negatively correlated with social support and well-being. Items on the quality of life scale had a mean score range from 3.09 to 4.96. Quality of life related to income was lowest (3.09) but the desire to use more money for the patient was rated 2.90 on the burden scale where the item means ranged from 0.73 to 3.55. The high mean of 3.55 was for obligation to give care and the low 0.73 was (or not feeling that this was helping the patient. Mean scores for symptoms ranged from 0.26 to 2.15 with the 2.15 being for “worry about all the things that have to be done.” Over half of the patients were dependent for help with some activities of daily living. The caregivers reported doing an average of 3.40 out of five patient care activities including bathing (77.4%), shampooing (67.9%), and washing face and hands (49.1％), and 3.74 out of seven home maintenance activities including laundry (98.1％), cooking (83.0%), and arranging bed-ding(75.5%). The caregivers reported their spouse as one of the main sources of social support, including in times of loneliness and anger The mean score for loneliness as burden was 2.15 and ranked fourth and 31 (58.5％) of the sample reported being lonely recently and not being satisfied with the support received. Similarly anger caused by the patient was given a mean score of 2.13, and anger was reported to have been present recently by 38 (71.7%) of the sample and satis-faction with the support given was low. Having someone to help deal with anger ranked twelfth out of 21 items on the social support scale and had a mean score of 3.98 (range 3.49 to 5.98). Spouses were reported as a major source of social support but the fact that 50% of the caregivers were caring for a spouse, may account for the quality of this source of social support having been affected. These caregivers faced the same problems as others at the same stage of life. but because of the situation, there was a strain on their resources, particularly financial and social. In conclusion it was found that burden is correlated negatively to quality of life and positively to symptoms, but in this sample, symptoms and bur-den were scored relatively low. Does this indicate that the caregivers accept caregiving as part of their destiny and accept the quality of their lives with burden and symptoms just being a part of caregiving\ulcorner Does the correlation between the bur-den and symptoms indicate they are a measure of the same phenomenon or that the sample was of a more mobile, less burdened group of caregivers\ulcorner Quality of life was the one variable that was significant in explaining the varience on burden. Further study is needed to validate the conclusions found in this study but they indicate a need for nurses to ap-proach these caregivers with a plan tailored to each individual situation and to give consideration to interventions directed at improving quality of life and expanding social support networks for those caring for spouses.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.231-240
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the depression of the main caregivers for the elderly in Korea by using a descriptive survey study. A total of two hundred eight participants who admitted at five nursing homes located in G city were analyzed using SPSS 25.0. There was a significant difference in depression according to general characteristics: higher level in extended family in family type. Participants showed significantly higher level of depression in cases of less than five years' hospitalization periods or Decision maker of elderly's hospitalization high level burden for expenses among caring related characteristics. They also had higher level of depression in cases of high level burden for expenses. less than 60 minute in commuting time, or non-satisfaction for nursing home service among caring related characteristics. Although we need more evidences through future studies, the findings from this study will be useful in the development of nursing intervention program for reducing the depression of the main caregivers for elderly population.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.13-29
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to describe about elders with dementia, their families, and their living environment by visiting the households where demented elders resided. The findings will be used as a basis to develop future individualized adjustment programs for demented elders and their families living in communities. The study participants were 64 demented elders and their families who were registered to a dementia counseling center at Nam-Gu community health center located in Inchon, Korea. Data were collected for two months, from May to June 2001. The length of data collection for each home visit ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Conclusion are as follows based on these study findings: Those demented elders had more than one chronic health problem in addition to their pre-existing dementia condition. Two thirds of the demented elders were not receiving any specific treatment for dementia. They showed a moderate level of independence in basic ADL, but were mostly residing at home because of lack of ability to perform more delicate and complicate routine daily activities by themselves. In addition, the primary caregivers were not well adjusted to the care-giving activities for their demented family members due to the lack of knowledge and information about dementia. The caregivers were mostly women including daughters-in-law, woman spouses and daughters, over a half of whom perceived their physical and mental health status as poor. Their image toward the demented elders was considerably negative. while their level of knowledge on dementia was moderate. The burden for the care-giving was high, whereas their coping method was passive. As the difference in image toward elderly before and after the onset of dementia in their family member increases, the caregiver burden also increased. The main resource of social support for the caregivers was their children. The caregivers showed high level of needs for knowledge and information on dementia, and day care service was the most preferred type of service by the caregivers. There was lack of safety in the living environments for the demented elders and their families, and in the surrounding environments to prevent dementia-related symptoms. Considering that home-based family care-giving is the most culturally appropriate model of providing care for the demented elders in Korea, we need to develop and apply an individualized adjustment program for the demented elders and their families.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.598-608
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• 2019

This study aimed to investigate the role of social support to enhance posttraumatic growth in the Family Caregivers focusing on their trauma by development of the elderly with dementia. The study subjects were 204 family Caregivers for the elderly with dementia and the data were analyzed by the gender. This study utilized IBM SPSS Statistics ver. 20.0 for analysis, and the main results of this study were as follows. First, female group of the family Caregivers showed significantly higher in the level of trauma while male group showed significantly higher in the informal areas of social support and posttraumatic growth. Second, female group showed the protective effect in the formal area of social support and male group did the effect in the formal and informal area of social support. As such, this study investigated the level of trauma by gender of family Caregivers for the elderly with dementia and suggested the implementation strategies to enhance posttraumatic growth. Moreover, this study has the meaning to provide the required fundamental data to establish proper community care upon demonstrating the practical analysis results considering the characteristics of social support.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.157-164
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of self-esteem in the effect of nursing caregivers' job enthusiasm on job satisfaction. For research analysis, 160 nursing caregivers' engaged in 2 institutions located in Gyeonggi-do, 3 institutions located in Seoul, 5 institutions located in Chungcheongnam-do, and 9 institutions located in Chungcheongbuk-do were surveyed from April 1 to September 2022. Data were collected non-face-to-face using Google links until the 30th. From the collected data of 140 people, 118 copies were used for the final analysis, excluding 22 incomplete responses. First, the effect of positive(+) effect on self-esteem of nursing care workers was confirmed. Second, it was confirmed that caregivers' job enthusiasm had a positive(+) effect on job satisfaction. Third, in the effect of caregiver's job enthusiasm on job satisfaction, it was confirmed as a partial mediating effect of self-esteem. In addition, the Sobel Test was conducted to confirm the significance of the mediating effect, and the significance of the mediating effect was also confirmed. This study has significance in that it suggests social welfare practices and policy interventions necessary to increase job enthusiasm and self-esteem for job satisfaction of nursing care workers, who are the main agents of caring for the elderly.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.667-685
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning and essence of experience of family members as care-givers of terminally ill cancer patients at hospice wards. This study was based on the Giorgi phenomenological method, which describes the experiences about the family caregivers. We had in-depth interview with spouses and orthogonal families of nine terminally ill cancer patients. Results were drawn into 13 essential themes, 45 sub themes, and 122 main points. The essential themes are as follows: "cling of life", "bed-keeper", "sacrifice of care", "physical and mental exhaustion during care process","feeling of love and hatred", "avenge on a patient", "self-condemnation", "futility after exhaustion", "consolation of other caregivers", "utmost efforts in resignation", "freedom from suffering", "paradoxical blessing of cancer", "introspected revolution", and "preparation of a dignified death". Implications and limitations are discussed based on study results.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.5063-5069
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• 2014

Background: Cancer is a disease which affects not only patients but also their families physically and emotionally. The purpose of this study was to determine the needs, challenges and ways of coping of caregivers of cancer patients. Materials and Methods: In the study, a phenomenological approach was used. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews. The study sample comprised 16 family members providing care for a cancer patient. Results: The study findings are grouped under four main themes: the impact of caregiving, masking feelings, experienced challenges and expectations, and coping. During the caregiving process, patient relatives are affected physiologically, psychologically and socially. It was determined that patient relatives hid their feelings and avoided talking about the disease for fear that they might upset the patient, and that they had difficulty in coping with the patient's reactions during the treatment process. Family members had difficulties arising from the health system, hospital conditions and treatment in addition to transportation and financial problems. Support is very important in coping, but it was determined that some of the relatives of patients did not receive adequate support. Patient relatives expect that health care professionals should provide them with more information about their patient's condition and the course of the disease that their patients should be dealt with by the physicians specialized in cancer, and that psychological support should be provided both for them and for their patient. Conclusions: During the caregiving process, family members are faced with many difficulties and they exhibit different coping behaviors which health care professionals should take into account.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.121-140
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• 2018

Objectives This research was aimed to analyze and assess the articles of qualitative research of Pediatrics by following Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Methods Two researchers analyzed and assessed the reports' quality and appropriateness based on COREQ guideline. The articles that failed to achieve consensus from the two researchers, the third researcher made a final decision. Results A total of fifty-six reports which used caregivers as participants, were selected and adopted qualitative research methods were chosen. In most qualitative studies, COREQ was not implemented. Some parts of the studies were poorly described and elaborated when reviewing them based on the COREQ guidelines. In the 'Research team and reflexivity', there was lack of description about the researcher. In the 'Study design', there were no detailed descriptions on the approaches they took in recruiting their study participants. There was not enough detail reflexivity participants who refused, and where the recruitment took place. There were also no records of whether there was a pilot test or a data saturation. In 'Analysis and findings' section, there were few articles mentioning Participant checking, and the main opinion of the participants were well analyzed in all the papers, but excluding opinions of few participants. Conclusions There are still many qualitative studies that have caregivers as participants, in the field of pediatrics. However, methodological skills are insufficient. The use of the COREQ guidelines should be further implemented for more robust and methodological improvement.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.364-372
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• 2010

Purpose : Good adherence of caregivers is essential for successful health outcomes in the treatment of childhood asthma. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors contributing to good adherence of maintenance treatment in children with well-controlled asthma. Methods : Children with well-controlled asthma being treated with a daily controller for at least 3 months in Korea University Anam Hospital were selected. Their caregivers who had good adherence to maintenance treatment were recruited. Qualitative study through in-depth interviews was conducted with 18 caregivers who agreed to the study. Results : The 18 caregivers (mean age, 40.0 years) consisted of 15 mothers, 2 grandmothers, and 1 father. The resulting consensus were identified and grouped into 2 domains: the caregiver/patient aspect with 8 theme factors and the treatment aspect with 4 theme factors. The main theme factors in the caregiver/patient aspect were enabling participation in physical activities and exercise (77.8%), perceptions regarding asthma and the need for long-term treatment (50.0%), and perceived value of the medications outweighing the risk of side effects (38.9%). The main theme factors in the treatment aspect were trust in the physician (77.8%), general satisfaction with the manner and attitude of the physician (77.8%) and verification of the necessity of further treatment by performing tests (38.9%). Conclusion : Efforts to improve caregivers' adherence to the treatment of childhood asthma must include a range of factors related to both caregiver/patient aspects and treatment aspects. Among all of these factors, it may be most important to establish a physician-caregiver partnership.