• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.165-181
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• 2000

Even though enormous governmental expenses and scientists' efforts to find out definite causes and treatment methods of senile dementia have been investigated, little has been known in this area. Along with knowledge development of the etiology and treatment of the dementia, researchers have started to focus on improving the quality of life of the older adults with dementia through psychosocial intervention. This study was designed to propose a theoretical framework for establishing therapeutic environment for the older adults with dementia and for developing principles and strategies of caring. The results of this study were expected to help family members of the older adults with dementia to understand behavioral problems of the demented persons. The results can be utilized for health professionals to provide nursing interventions to reduce family caregivers' burden and to improve the quality of life of the older adults with dementia and their family. Caring principles developed from this study were as follows: 1. To minimize the stressors that can stimulate older adults with dementia. 2. To assess demented person's needs for safety and provide intervention based on the assessment. 3. To provide therapeutic environment for older adults with dementia to reduce confusion and to improve orientation. 4. To organize simple regular daily activities that older adults can anticipate. 5. To enhance demented person's self-esteem and self-confidence by providing supportive care. 6. To promote social interaction of the older adults with dementia by utilizing adequate activity programs.

• Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 2018

Purpose: Korea is one of the most rapidly aging countries, accompanied by an increasing number of older adults with dementia. Certified-care-assistants are the primary care workers for these older adults. This cross-sectional descriptive study compared the factors influencing care behaviors among Korean and non-Korean certified-care-assistants in Korea. Methods: Participants, 113 Korean certified-care-assistants and 71 non-Korean certified-care-assistants, completed a survey questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to assess dementia knowledge, attitude and care behaviors toward older adults with dementia. To determine the differences in these two groups, t-test was used. A stepwise multiple regression was performed to identify factors related to care behavior. Results: Significant differences in dementia knowledge, attitude and care behavior toward older adults with dementia emerged between Korean and non-Korean certified-care-assistants. Factors influencing care behavior varied by group. Dementia knowledge and education level were the significant factors of care behaviors in Korean certified-care-assistants, whereas attitude toward older adults with dementia was the significant factor in non-Korean certified-care-assistants. Conclusion: Findings indicate that different factors influence the care behavior of two groups. These findings can be utilized to develop certified-care-assistants' training curriculum that needs to be tailored by nationality to improve the quality of care for older adults with dementia.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.119-130
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the nurses' experiences of end of life care of older adults with dementia living in long-term care hospitals and geriatric care facilities. Methods: The participants were nine nurses. Open in-depth interviews were used to collect data from June, 2016 to November, 2016. Colaizzi's phenomenological approach was used to analyze the data. Results: Three categories were identified. The nurses' reported experiences of end of life care of older adults with dementia were 'warm care with living together', 'care for family', and the 'self-reflection and responsibility as a nurse'. There were ten clusters of themes and 24 themes. The participants stated that the end of life care of older adults with dementia were individualized holistic care with dignity, being in older adults with dementia and family, and responsibility as a professional. Nurses reported the need for dementia hospice care. Conclusion: These results could be considered in planning nursing intervention for hospice care. The findings support the need for educational strategies and programs to improve end of life care among older adults with dementia.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.156-165
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• 2020

Purpose: This study was performed to identify the factors influencing the fear of dementia in middle-aged and older adults. Methods: Data on the characteristics, dementia knowledge, dementia attitude, dementia health beliefs, and fear of dementia of 156 participants were collected from January 20 to March 22, 2018, using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed with the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program for descriptive statistics, using an independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: Significant factors associated with fear of dementia among middle-aged and older adults were subjective life satisfaction (F=3.72, p=.006) and regular exercise (t=6.05, p=.015). Fear of dementia has positive correlations with dementia attitude, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and perceived barrier. The determining factors affecting fear of dementia in middle-aged and older adults were perceived severity (β=.46, p<.001), followed by a perceived barrier (β=.20, p=.004) and perceived susceptibility (β=.17, p=.023), and the explanation power was about 47.8%. Conclusion: The results suggest that perceived severity, perceived barrier, and perceived susceptibility be considered in developing the nursing interventions to increase perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, and to decrease perceived barrier to dementia by evaluating dementia health beliefs to manage the fear of dementia among middle-aged and older adults.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.252-261
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a dementia education program for Korean older adults who resided in community. Methods: The research adopted the non-equivalent control group pretestposttest design. A total of 66 older adults completed the study (31 older adults in the experimental group and 35 in the control group). The Experimental group participated in a six-session dementia education program for three weeks. The effects of the dementia education program were evaluated using the measures of knowledge of dementia and attitude toward dementia. Data were analyzed using independent sample t-test with SPSS/WIN 18.0. Results: There was a significant change in the knowledge of dementia in the experimental group (t=2.75, p=.008). Although there was an increase in attitude toward dementia in the experimental group, the change was not statistically significant (t=1.26, p=.212). Conclusion: The results indicated that the dementia education program is effective in improving the knowledge of dementia among community-dwelling older adults. There is a need to develop more effective dementia education programs designed to improve older adults' attitude toward dementia. Further research is needed using a highly rigorous research methodology.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.341-358
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• 2022

Purpose: This study examined the effects of a person-centered fall prevention program for older adults with dementia in long-term care hospitals. Methods: A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The study sample included 42 older adults with dementia (experimental group: 21, control group: 21) and 42 caregivers (experimental group: 21, control group: 21). The program comprised 48 sessions held over 12 weeks and included exercise intervention with resistance and balance, dance walking (45~60 min, three times/week), cognitive and emotional intervention (35~50 min, once per week), and person-centered fall prevention education (10 min, once per week). The program for caregivers consisted of six educational sessions (i.e., fall prevention competency enhancement and person-centered care strategy education, 80 min, once per week) for six weeks. Data were collected before participation and 12 weeks after program completion from February 18 to May 12, 2019. Data analysis was conducted using the chi-square test, t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test with SPSS/WIN 21.0. Results: The experimental group of older adults with dementia showed significant improvement in physical and cognitive functions, and a decrease in depression, and behavioral and psychological symptoms, when compared with the control group. caregivers in the experimental group exhibited significant improvement in fall-related knowledge and person-centered care of older adults with dementia compared to the control group. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that this program was effective as a nursing intervention for fall prevention among older adults with dementia in long-term care hospitals.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.46-51
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• 2021

This pilot study examined the contribution of citizen science approach to the datification of factors influencing the progress of cognitive health of the older adults. Newspapers were reviewed and FGIs of field workers at a Day Care Center gathered relevant data from citizen. Two questions were put forward; whether new factors are drawn from citizen knowledge; if yes, whether they represent a new type of data. 'Aesal', personality of the older adults with dementia is noted as a new dementia affecting factor. The data on personality also present a new challenge for scientific measurement. The relationship between personality or psychology of the older adults and the risk of getting dementia has been a research field for a long time, yet the impact of personality on the progress of dementia has not been examined scientifically. Because of communication difficulties with the older adults with dementia, new types of indicators and new ways of measurements thus need to be developed.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.110-118
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• 2018

Purpose: Reminiscence therapy is a widely used intervention for older adults and those with dementia. However, the attributes of the concept of reminiscence is not clearly proposed. The aim of this study was to clarify the concept of reminiscence in Korean older adults with dementia. Methods: The study applied the concept analysis method of Walker and Avant. The literature review included the previous studies of reminiscence from philosophy, literature, art, neuroscience, medicine, psychology, sociology, and nursing. Results: A total of 43 Korean or international papers were analyzed in this study. Attributes of reminiscence in Korean older adults with dementia were regeneration of memories, internal and external communications, expression of suppressed emotions, and recognition of ego identity. The suppressed emotions and ego identity may result from Korean cultural characteristics based on the suppressed environments of many wars and dictatorships in the past. The consequences of reminiscence in Korean older adults with dementia are cognitive enhancement, relief of depression, and improvements of social interactions, ego integrity, and quality of life. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the historical and cultural characteristics should be considered to develop effective nursing interventions including reminiscence for Korean older adults with dementia.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.167-181
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• 2018

Purpose: We developed and tested the effects of a coping skill training program for caregivers in feeding difficulty among older adults with dementia in long-term care facilities. Methods: A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The subjects comprised 34 caregivers (experimental group: 17, control group: 17) and 40 older adults with dementia (experimental group: 20, control group: 20). The developed program was delivered in 4-hour sessions over 6 weeks (including 2 weeks of lectures and lab practice on feeding difficulty coping skills, and 4 weeks of field practice). Data were collected before, immediately after, and 4 weeks after the program (January 3 to April 6, 2016). The data were analyzed using t-test and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS/WIN 20.0. Results: Compared to their counterparts in the control group, caregivers in the experimental group showed a significantly greater improvement in feeding knowledge and feeding behavior, while older adults with dementia showed greater improvements in feeding difficulty and Body Mass Index. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that this coping skill training program for caregivers in feeding difficulty is an effective intervention for older adults with dementia in long-term care facilities.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.225-240
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of reminiscence therapy on depressive symptoms in older adults with dementia using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from January 2000 to January 2018 were searched through Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), Korean Studies Information Service System (KISS), Korean Medical Database (KMbase), KoreaMed, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Ovid MEDLINE. Two researchers independently performed the search, selection, and coding. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.0 was used for meta-analysis, and Review Manager program 5.3 was used for quality assessment. Results: Out of the 1,250 retrieved articles, 22 RCTs were selected for analysis. The overall effect size of reminiscence therapy for mitigating depressive symptoms in older adults with dementia was -0.62 (95% Cl: -0.92 to -0.31). The effect size was greater in older adults under 80, those with less disease severity, and those for whom the therapy session lasted less than 40 minutes. Conclusion: Reminiscence therapy is an effective non-pharmacological therapy to improve depressive symptoms in older adults with dementia. Because its effectiveness is also influenced by age, disease severity, and application method, it is necessary to consider treatment designs based on individual characteristics as well as methodological approaches.