• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.123-132
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• 2014

Proportion of senior population living alone in South Korea has exceeded over 20.2% in 2012, and it is anticipated that the proportion would increase every year. Poverty rate of seniors living alone in Korea is also anticipated to increase the highest rate (76.6%) among OECD countries. In particular, seniors lacking family support are having greater difficulty and isolated due to high housing costs and housing instability. Therefore, they need a new housing alternatives for considering their economical difficulty and lacking family and social support. This study attempted to examine possibility to develop a new housing alternatives for Korean seniors, especially living urban area. For this purpose, this study identified the attitudes and preference for a new house alternatives(Senior Shared House) by Korean seniors living alone. The key findings of this study were as follows: 1) Eighty-five percent of seniors participated in this study responded the senior shared house was needed. 2) It should be developed by utilizing or renovating and renting out existing housing in city areas. 3) Pre-residence checklist can be developed to connect and match prospect residents. 4) Professional workforce (e.g. housing welfare professional) is absolutely necessary to perform the role of coordinator understanding the various characteristics of the seniors, and their living requirements. Recommendations and directions for future development of senior shared house were suggested.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.417-431
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• 2007

This study investigates the differences among residental areas in the health, standard of living, and social relationships of female elderly living alone. The total of 501 subjects(185 from rural areas, 159 from fishing communities, 77 from the islands, and 80 from urban areas) were questioned from May to July, 2006. The research area was confined to Chungcheong Province. The female elderly living alone of this study were an average of seventy-three years old, had a low cost of living, and received little formal school education. Over sixty percent(60.3) of them lived on less than thirty dollars a month which was the recognized Korean poverty level in 2006. The female elderly living alone were evaluated as being in good health, but they themselves perceived their health as being poor. Observed by residential areas, the subjects in urban areas were lower in ADL, and both the urban dwellers and the islanders appeared to be higher in their satisfaction with medical services as compared to those in rural areas and fishing communities. The fishing villagers showed the lowest standard of living for female elderly living alone. The analysis of social relationships as seen in the different residental areas revealed that the female elderly living alone g in urban areas tended to be receiving social supports rather than providing for others, and subjects living in fishing areas and the islands proved to be relatively higher in the exchange of social supports. In relation to offspring, the female elderly living alone in urban areas had a lower frequency of meeting with their children and also a lesser degree of intimacy with them because they lived at a distance. On the other hand, subjects living in rural areas and fishing communities had a higher frequency of meeting with their children and a greater degree of intimacy with them even if they lived at a distance. The study also showed that the female elderly living alone in the islands had a higher frequency of once meeting per three week with their offspring and a higher degree of intimacy with them because they all live in the same islands. In conclusion, the subject living in urban areas appeared to be isolated from their offspring as compared to the other seniors in the study. The female elderly living alone in urban areas suffered from an insufficient network of relatives and neighbors, and they experienced a poor quality of relationships to their offspring. Almost all of the lone seniors in the study had a low score in social activities; however, the female elderly living alone in urban areas revealed a higher level of participation in volunteer activities, group activities, and educational activities. Nevertheless, the lone seniors living in urban areas were not satisfied with their participation in social activities. The subjects living in rural in fishing communities and the islands showed more participation in money-making activities. This study suggests that the policies for female elderly living alone should reflect the differences of regional characteristics.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2018

In this research, one's ability to perform activities of daily living, body pain, and emotional states of elders who live alone and elders who live with others were compared to investigate which factors affect senior's health state. The data was collected from 88 seniors and analyzed for the comparison. Compared to seniors who live with others, elders who live alone had lower activity of daily livings, stronger body pain, and instability in emotional states. These 3 aspects showed a statistical significance of correlation. As a result of further analysis, not only residential types(living alone or living with others), but also life pattern(indoor or outdoor) is affected on the results. It is expected that the results of this research could be used as basic data for physiological index to evaluate senior's health state and care service for seniors who live alone.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.31-41
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to analyze the remodeling of Carnation House, examine the current state of the spatial remodeling, and propose the future direction of the spatial remodeling of communal life facilities for the elderly living alone. To this end, experimental investigation, photograph shooting, and interviews with managers were performed, and a remodeling analysis was conducted by comparing the data before and after the remodeling. The study results can be summarized as below. First, as there is no standard for the remodeling of communal life facilities for the elderly living alone, related guidelines should be provided in the near future. Second, more fundamental approach to the remodeling should be made considering medical services for the elderly's safety, universal design plans, lifestyles of the elderly, and their use behaviors. Third, as communal life facilities for the elderly living alone normally have small spaces due to the remodeling by change of use, variable spatial planning should be performed for the elderly to utilize communal life facilities as multi-purpose and multi-functional spaces. Fourth, as the terrace space is an essential remodeling space needed for the elderly's rest, communication, and creation of profits, its remodeling should be realized in such a way that various programs can be utilized. Fifth, it turned out that the exterior remodeling could change the overall image of the facilities through new materials and colors.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.189-196
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• 2023

Purpose: This study sought to identify factors affecting the health-related quality of life (HINT-8) of female seniors aged 65 years or older living alone after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Raw data from the eighth third year (2021) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was used, and the total number of subjects was 379. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 program, employing complex sample frequency and percentages, t-tests, analyses of variance, and regression analyses, while a post-hoc test (Bonferroni correction) was performed to determine differences in health-related quality of life. Results: The results of the study showed that the study subjects' health-related quality of life differed significantly depending on activity restrictions, number of walking days, age at menopause, perceived stress, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and subjective health. Most of the influencing factors were emotional factors such as perceived stress level, generalized anxiety disorder, and subjective health status carrying an explanatory power of 46%. Conclusion: The results of this study can be used as basic data to establish intervention strategies based on factors that affect the health-related quality of life for female seniors living alone.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.207-219
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of suicide attempts and non-attempts of the elderly living alone and the subjects in this study were 690 elderly persons living alone in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. For data analysis, this study used descriptive analysis, mean comparison correlation analysis, and binominal logistic regression analysis using PASW 20.0. To explain the suicide attempts of elderly persons who live alone, variables such as sex, age education level, monthly household income, religion, subjective economic status, subjective health status, ADL/IADL, depression, hopelessness, social support, and stress were used. The findings of the study were as follows: First, 9.2 percent(64) of the elderly living alone had attempted suicide and 90.8 percent(626) had never attempted suicide. Second, monthly household income, hopelessness, and social support were identified as the factors that affected their suicide attempts. In other words, the elderly living alone who had lower monthly household income, less social support, and greater feelings of hoprlessness had made more suicide attempts. As it is a cross-sectional research using data from non-probability sampling, this has a limitation in generality sampling, this has a limitation in generalizing the study results. To overcome this limitation, longitudinal research using data from probability sampling is necessary.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.438-447
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• 2020

The purpose of this research is to investigate the mediating effect of sense of self-control in the relationship between loneliness and preparation for death of seniors living alone. The research results can be summarized as follows: First, the difference between the feeling of loneliness and the feeling of self-control, depending on the personal trait of the subject was examined. The subjects that are male, have no faith, and have their own houses showed a more intense feeling of loneliness than subjects that are female, have faith, and have their own houses, respectively. Also, the subjects that have their own houses and are engaged in economic activities showed a more intense feeling of self-control. Second, when it comes to the relationship between loneliness and preparation for death, seniors who had been hospitalized and had lower loneliness showed higher levels of preparation for death. Third, the analysis on the effect on sense of self-control revealed that the younger and the lower the loneliness, the higher the sense of self-control. Fourth, such sense of self-control had a partial mediating effect in the relationship between loneliness and preparation for death. Therefore, this research suggested measures to promote activities to prepare for death by decreasing loneliness and strengthening sense of self-control of the elderly living alone.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.39-46
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• 2024

In this paper, we propose a low-cost wearable device that can monitor the health status of the elderly living alone in real-time. As aging is accelerating, the elderly population is rapidly increasing, and the social isolation of the elderly living alone is causing physical and mental difficulties and the number of elderly people dying alone is increasing, becoming a social problem. In this study, we propose a belly band-type wearable device that can monitor the biometric information of elderly living alone. The proposed device transmits electromyogram, electrocardiogram, and body temperature information to a remote server through an Arduino-based sensor built into the abdominal band. Transmitted information can be monitored in a web environment in real-time, and it has the feature of enabling remote monitoring of a large number of subjects with a small amount of management manpower. The research results will contribute to improving the safety and welfare of seniors living alone by not only detecting lonely deaths in advance but also responding immediately to dangerous situations that may occur in daily life.

• Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 2018

Purpose: Self-efficacy encompass one's belief in one's ability to organize and achieve goals. Previous studies have not adequately examined the mediating role of self-efficacy between social support and health promotion behavior. Therefore, this study explored the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between social support and health promotion behavior among older women living alone. Methods: Participants were 145 older women living alone attending a local welfare center for seniors. They completed the Self-efficacy Scale, Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey Scale, and Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. Data were analyzed using Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, Baron and Kenny's regression analysis and the Sobel test with the SPSS program. Results: The average social support, health promotion behavior, and self-efficacy were not high. Self-efficacy was a partial mediating role in the relationship between social support and health promotion behavior. Social support was positively correlated with self-efficacy (r=.31, p<.001) and with health promotion behavior (r=.43, p<.001), and self-efficacy was positively related with health promotion behavior (r=.39, p<.001). Conclusion: To enhance health promotion behavior in older women who live alone, intervention strategies to increase social support and self-efficacy for these women should be developed.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.569-581
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• 2016

This experimental study employs a pretest -posttest method concerning the integrated therapy of neurofeedback training, brain gymnastics, and oriental herbal tea effects on seniors living alone. The purpose of the study is to identify effects on brain functions and quality of life. The study participants included 23 seniors living alone (male 10, female 13), ranging in age from 65~90. The experiment lasted 8 weeks, from December 22, 2014, to February 28, 2015. The neurofeedback training utilized the 2 Channel neurofeedback system by Braintech Corporation and was conducted a total of 16 times over 8 weeks, having two sessions per week lasting for 30 minutes focusing on relaxation, concentration and memory. Brain gymnastics, developed by the Korean Science Institute of Psychiatry, ran for 30 minutes, twice a week for a total of 16 sessions administered over 8 weeks. Participants were required to drink 3 cups of oriental herbal tea developed according to Donguibogam for 8 weeks. The results of applying integrated therapy found positive effects on brain function resulting from changes in level of tension and anti-stress quotient. Quality of life, daily life basic measurements, and depression symptoms were significantly influenced by decreases in blood pressure and blood sugar. Results of this study find the integrated therapy of neurofeedback training, brain gymnastics, and oriental herbal tea can significantly enhance brain functions and quality of life within seniors living alone. Therefore integrated therapy involving neurofeedback, brain gymnastics, and oriental herbal tea is a necessary intervention to improve the quality of life of seniors living alone, and will improve the quality of life through healing both mind and body in a more practical and systematical manner.