• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.718-732
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate nutrients or food factors related to cognitive function of elderly having Alzheimer's disease. In this study 38 subjects who were over 65 years old have participated in dementia clinic at A medical center. After they were diagnosed to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) through blood analysis, neuropsychological test, brain image and interview by medical specialist, we examined for their general information, anthropometry, blood pressure and dietary intakes. Dietary intakes were investigated using the 24-hour recall record. Energy intake was adequate and the energy composition of carbohydrate, protein and fat was 60.8 : 16.2 : 23.0, but dietary intakes of calcium, vitamin A and folate were less than 75% of the recommended intake levels for Koreans. The multiple regression analysis adjusted with age, sex and educational level showed that cognitive function was positively related to intakes of zinc, fishes and shellfishes, beans & nuts, sugars and fats, and negatively related to intakes of plant calcium and eggs. These results indicate that intakes of specific nutrients or food groups are associated with the specific domains of cognitive function in elderly with AD.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.475-483
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• 2009

Subjects of the research were 668 elderly people aged over 65 from Gangneung city. OHIP 14 went through a first translation from English to Korean, discussion among experts, a second translation from Korean to English, and then the translation was approved. After the primary and main research were carried out, validity and correlation coefficient with the outcome of oral and mental health examination were studied. OHIP 14 in terms of the perception of oral health was relevant to the perception of overall health and oral health, the necessity of dental treatment, the satisfaction about oral health, the level of pain from observation, and the satisfaction about artificial tooth. OHIP 14 on account of oral health state was related to the number of present natural teeth, the necessity of dental treatment, and the status of no teeth. OHIP 14 according to overall health was correlated to the number of ailments, the state of mind, nerve systems, bones and sinews, digestive systems, urogenital systems, cerebrovascular systems, respiratory systems, eyes, ears, and dementia. OHIP 14 according to the perception of oral health showed a significant difference in the perception of overall health and oral health, the level of pain in terms of observation, and the satisfaction on artificial tooth. OHIP 14 on account of oral health state demonstrated a meaningful difference in the number of present natural teeth, the necessity of dental treatment, and status of no teeth. OHIP 14 in terms of overall health exhibited considerable difference in the state of mind, nerve systems, bones and sinews, digestive systems, cerebrovascular systems, respiratory systems, ears, and dementia. From the study, it was proven that there was relevance between the validity of OHIP 14 and the perception of oral health, the state of oral health, and the state of overall health in the experiment on some Korean elderly people.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.75-93
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• 2021

Objective : The aim of this study was to identify subgroups of older adults with respect to their lifestyle patterns and examine the characteristics of each subgroup in order to provide a basic evidence for improving the health and quality of life. Methods : This cross-sectional study was conducted in South Korea. Community-dwelling older adults (n=184) above the age of 65 years were surveyed from April 2019 to May 2019. This study used latent profile analysis to examine the subgroups. Chi-squared (χ²) and multinomial logistic regression measures were then used to analyze individual characteristics and influencing factors. Results : The pattern of physical activity which is one of the lifestyle domains in elderly was categorized into three types: 'passive exercise type (31.1%)', 'low intensity exercise type (54.5%)', and 'balanced exercise type(14.5%)'. Activity participation was divided into three patterns: 'inactive type (12%)', 'self-management type (61%)', and 'balanced activity participation type (27%)'. In terms of nutrition, there were only two groups: 'overall malnutrition type (13.5%)' and 'balanced nutrition type (86.5%)'. Furthermore, as a result of the multinomial logistic regression analysis to understand the effects of lifestyle types on the health and quality of life of the elderly, it was confirmed that the health and quality of life were higher in those following an active and balanced lifestyle. In addition, gender, education level and residential area were analyzed as predictive factors. Conclusion : The health and quality of life of the elderly can be improved when they have balanced lifestyle. Therefore, an empirical and policy intervention strategy should be developed and implemented to enhance the health and quality of life of the elderly.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 2020

Purpose: This study assessed the food intake and nutritional status of the elderly in long-term care facilities in order to provide adequate food services and improve the nutritional status. Methods: The survey was carried out from August 2019 to October 2019 for the elderly in long-term care facilities located in Gwangju Metropolitan City. The survey was conducted to collect data from 199 elderly persons (34 males and 165 females) aged over 65 years old. The food intake was assessed using a 1-day 24-hour recall method. Results: More than 90% of the subjects were over 75 years old. Forty five percent of the subjects were active, 44.2% of the subjects perceived themselves as not being healthy. Dementia and Parkinson's disease were the most common diseases, followed by hypertension, musculo-skeletal disease, diabetes, and stroke. Only 25.6% of the subjects had most of their teeth intact, and 44.7% of the subjects had difficulty in chewing and swallowing. The total food intake was 1,127 g in males and 1,078 g in females. The most frequently consumed foods were kimchi, cooked rice with multi-grains, soybean soup, cooked rice with white rice, yogurt, pumpkin porridge, soy milk, and duck soup. The average energy intake of the subjects was 1,564.9 kcal in males and 1,535.5 kcal in females. The overall nutritional status of the elderly in the long-term care facilities was poor. In particular, the intake of vitamin D and calcium, vitamin C, riboflavin, and potassium were very low. The intake of vitamin D was 5 ㎍, and 86.4% of the elderly were below the estimated average requirement, while the intake of sodium was high. Conclusion: The results of this study can be used to understand the health and nutritional status and to improve the food services and nutrition management for the elderly in longterm care facilities.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.89-99
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• 2023

Objectives : In this study, elderly hospitalized patients aged 65 years or older who were admitted to a university hospital and referred to the department of psychiatry were classified into youngest-old, middle-old, and oldest-old. It was conducted to find out what factors contribute to the agitation pattern by age group, whether there is a difference in the factors, and whether there is a difference in the severity of the agitation pattern. Methods : From July 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, the medical records of patients aged 65 years or older who were referred to the department of psychiatry were retrospectively reviewed. Age, gender, route of hospitalization, department of referral, reason for referral, treatment method, presence of internal and surgical diseases, and hematological test data were investigated. Results : There was a significant correlation with the RASS score in cases of surgery referral and high CRP levels for youngest-old aged 65 to 74 years, in cases of surgery referral, dementia and hyponatremia for middle-old aged 75 to 84 years, in case of dementia for oldest-old aged 85 years old or older. In addition, there were differences in the severity of agitation patterns between age groups. Conclusions : As the age group increases, the agitation of delirium patients becomes more severe, and various factors contributing to the agitation pattern also differ by age group. Therefore, when treating elderly patients with delirium, attention should be paid to factors that may affect agitation depending on age.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.1591-1609
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• 2009

Adult child caregivers and spousal caregivers might deal with differential challenges. Studies about caregivers' psychological outcomes, however, tended to investigate associations between caregiving and its outcomes by pooling adult child caregivers and spousal caregivers together. By using a U. S. sample of family caregivers who assisted a relative with dementia, this study examined whether the relationship of caregivers to care receivers (daughter caregivers or spousal caregivers) made a difference in levels of depressive symptoms. The result showed that wife caregivers were more likely to be depressed than daughter caregivers. For daughter caregivers, role overload, role captivity, and behavior problems significantly influenced on depression. Besides these variables, the level of education was a significant predictor for wife caregivers. Role captivity and behavior problems significantly impacted on depression for husband caregivers. Thus, role captivity and behavioral problems were common predictors for all the caregivers. Specifically, higher levels of role captivity and behavioral problems were likely to make caregivers more depressed. The implication of these results were discussed.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.831-848
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to analyse the family caregivers' stress pathways by types of long term care services for the elderly, and then to discuss the findings of analysis. For this research, primary caregivers that provide care the elderly requiring long term care services sanctioned by National Health Insurance Corporation were drawn and surveyed. Among collected data, data for 258 primary caregivers by type of long term care services were used for this study. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. First, on average, the elders that utilize care service in institutions for the elderly were higher proportion of women, older, higher rate of bereavement, more children than the elders that utilize in-home care service, but some cases were vice-versa. Second, the elders that utilize care service in institutions more ADL dependency, higher proportion of severe dementia or severe stroke, higher care rank by National Health Insurance Corporation than the elders that utilize in-home care service on average. Third, primary caregivers with elders that utilize in-home care service were higher proportion of women, older, lower education level, higher rate of spouse and daughter-in-law in relationship with care recipient, less health, lower income than primary caregivers with elders that utilize care service in institutions. Fourth, subjective indicators representing caregivers' reactions to caregiving for the elderly significantly impact on caregivers' stress(ie, depression), and pathway of caregivers' stress are differentiated by type of long term care services. Fifth, stressors that have direct impacts on depression as caregiving family are differentiated by type of long term care services. Therefore, policies or programs to reduce negative mental health or stress of caregivig families should be designed differently by reflecting pathway of various stressors and stress by use types of long term care services for the elderly.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.96-103
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• 2021

Background: The number of elderly people with comorbidities who experience dysphagia associated with geriatric disorders, such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's dementia, is increasing. Consequently, the demand for long-term prescriptions of powdered medications is expected to rise. Most patients procure repackaged prescription medications from pharmacies; however, the guidelines regarding their expiration dates are unclear. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess awareness among adults regarding the expiration dates and drug stability issues associated with repackaged prescription medications, including powdered medications. Methods: A questionnaire with 16 components was designed and distributed online (August 1-September 1, 2019) to adults aged 19 years or older. Statistical analyses, including descriptive analysis and chi-square test, were conducted on the obtained data. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Data from 254 respondents were analyzed; 191 (75.20%) respondents worked in non-healthcare-related fields. A significant number of healthcare workers recognized the stability issues associated with powdered medications (p<0.001). However, a large proportion of healthcare workers were not aware of the expiration dates (p>0.05). Conclusions: More than half of the total respondents, including healthcare workers, were not familiar with the appropriate expiration dates of repackaged prescription medications. The establishment of evidence-based guidelines regarding drug expiration dates and the dissemination of awareness among patients are required. Furthermore, clinical practices including repackaging or pulverizing medications for long-term prescriptions should be avoided owing to the associated drug stability issues.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.245-253
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• 2019

Background: This study aimed to analyze correlations between depression, cognitive function, oral health state, ability to perform activities of daily living, oral dryness symptoms, and oral health-related quality of life, and determine factors influencing the latter. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on questionnaires completed by 260 participants with suspected dementia, residing in South Korea. Psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, and dental hygienists visited clinics in the participating regions for examination and questionnaire administration. General characteristics, the geriatric depression scale, ability to perform activities of daily living, cognitive function, oral health state, and oral health-related quality of life were analyzed. Independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted, identifying factors affecting oral health-related quality of life. Data analysis was performed using SPSS ver. 20.0 (IBM Corp., USA), and the significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Approximately 65.0% of participants were female, 63.5% were in their 70s, and 90.0% had health insurance. About 21.5%, 42.0%, and 36.5% were normal, slightly impaired, and had dementia, respectively. High cognitive impairment was associated with poor oral health. Sex, education levels, marital status, and living arrangements influenced oral health-related quality of life. According to the regression analysis, geriatric depression and oral dryness affected the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index scores. Conclusion: In conclusion, oral dryness and depression levels among elders influenced oral health-related quality of life. The results showed that to enhance elders' oral health-related quality of life, it is essential to not only improve their oral health state, but also relieve oral health problems, especially oral dryness, and take into consideration their psychological aspects.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.1
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• pp.123-129
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• 2022

Objective : Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is one of the most common pathology in daily neurosurgical practice and incidence increases with age. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic factors and surgical outcome of CSDH in patients aging over 90 years compared with a control group of patients aging under 90 years. Methods : This study reviewed 25 patients with CSDH aged over 90 years of age treated in our department. This group was compared with a younger group of 25 patients aged below their eighties. At admission past medical history was recorded concerning comorbidities (hypertension, dementia, ictus cerebri, diabetes, and heart failure or attack). History of alcohol abuse, anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy, head trauma and seizures were analyzed. Standard neurological examination and Markwalder score at admission, 48 hours after surgery and 1-6 months follow-up, radiologic data including location and CSDH maximum thickness were also evaluated. Results : Their mean age was 92.8 years and the median was 92.4 years (range, 90-100 years). In older group, the Markwalder evaluation at one month documented the complete recovery of 24 patients out of 25 without statistical difference with the younger group. This data was confirmed at 6-month follow-up. One patient died from cardiovascular failure 20 days after surgery. The presence of comorbidities, risk factors (antiplatelet therapy, anticoagulant therapy, history of alcohol abuse, and head trauma), preoperative symptoms, mono or bilateral CSDH, maximum thickness of hematoma, surgical time and recurrence were similar and statistically not significant in both groups. Conclusion : In this study, we demonstrate that surgery for very old patients above 90 years of age affected by CSDH is safe and allows complete recovery. Comparing two groups of patients above and under 90 years old we found that complication rate and recovery were similar in both groups.