• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.209-219
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• 2009

Institutional care is often necessary for the health and well-being of the elderly. Good quality foodservice provided at long-term care facilities not only includes patients satisfaction but also cares for good health, contributing to the stability of foodservice management. The purpose of this study was to assess the importance and satisfaction attributes of foodservice management by hospitalized elderly patients. The data were collected via questionnaire by a one-to-one interview with 194 hospitalized elderly patients in six different hospitals. According to the results of dependent t-tests, overall mean scores for the importance attributes (3.96) and satisfactory attributes (3.83) were significantly different (p<0.001). As indicated by the patients, the recognized importance attributes were the kindness of foodservice personnel (4.19), kind smiles by foodservice personnel (4.16), and kind speaking by foodservice personnel (4.12). The most recognized satisfaction attributes were kindness of foodservice personnel (4.36), bedside meal service by foodservice personnel (4.25), kind speaking by foodservice personnel (4.24), kind smiles by foodservice personnel (4.24), and sanitary uniforms worn by foodservice personnel (4.21). These results suggest that the above encounter attributes (importance-satisfaction) would be useful tools for hospital foodservices to adopt, in order to control foodservice quality and satisfy the nutritional needs of elderly patients.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.52-59
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence and the predictors of depression in elderly patients admitted to hospital. Methods: A sample of 157 subjects aged 65 and over was selected from a university hospital in Korea. Data were collected through self-reported questionnaires during the period from April to August 2012. The data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVAs, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regressions with the SPSS/Win program. Results: The prevalence of depression was 54.8%; the mean score for depression was 17.30. Depression in elderly patients had a significant correlation with age, educational level, marital status, and perceived economy level from the demographic characteristics, self-efficacy, and family support. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that a combination of self-efficacy and family support accounted for 27% of the depression in elderly patients. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that programs designed to effectively prevent and manage depression among elderly patients should consider variables such as self-efficacy and family support.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2011

Due to improved life spans, cancer incidence has increased with more aged patients presenting with cancer. Elderly cancer patients could have compromised organ function and/or comorbidities. Due to poor social support or lack of early diagnosis, treatment outcomes for elderly cancer patients are poor in general. However, with aggressive support during cancer management as well as careful selection, most elderly cancer patients can tolerate standard radiation therapy with good results based on published articles. Here, we reviewed existing articles regarding compliance and treatment results in elderly cancer patients based on tumor site.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.388-393
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• 2021

At present, in Korea, due to developments in medicine and technology and an increasing mean lifespan, the expected lifetime for elderly people is increasing (at 70 years, the expected additional lifespan is 14.8 years for males and 18.3 years for females). However, among all causes of death, malignant neoplasm is ranked first for all ages. Further, the incidence rate of oral cancer tends to increase with age. Thus, oral and maxillofacial surgeons have increased opportunity to experience the 'oldest old' patients with oral cancer. Elderly patients commonly have several comorbidities, poor general condition, limited socioeconomic support, fear of various postoperative complications, and perception of short for the rest of their life. In this situation, the patient, caregiver, and surgeon often choose undergraded treatment rather than standard treatment for oral squamous cell carcinoma owing to patient age. In elderly patients with oral cancer, ablation of tumor or reconstructive surgery is challenging for surgeons. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons must evaluate carefully the patient's medical condition and make a decision regarding treatment plans after sufficient discussion with patient and caregivers. We review the literature to consider the factors involved for deciding on a treatment plan regarding surgery in elderly patients with oral cancer.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2019

Purpose: This study was done to analyze nursing assessment and nursing care for pain in the electronic nursing records for the elderly patients with abdominal pain visiting the Emergency Medical Center. Methods: This study is a descriptive study based on nursing records from January to December 2015. A total of 1155 records for elderly patients with abdominal pain were gathered. Results: The mean age of elderly patients whose records were analyzed was 75.2 years. Analysis of nursing records regarding pain management showed that semi-urgent severity (93.7%), direct emergency room visits (58%), and 6.01 hours of emergency room stay (6.01 hours)were the most frequently documented characteristics of the elderly patients with pain complaints. Recording time of nursing assessment for abdominal patients was 1.01 hour; the average pain intensity was 3.97. The mostly used nursing intervention for abdominal pain was medication (65.1%). There was no record of non-pharmacological pain nursing interventions. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that improving knowledge and nursing practice for pain management is much of necessity. In particular, development of the non-pharmacological nursing interventions for pain is needed. Further research is also imperative to develop and evaluate record systems for pain management that can be used in the emergency room.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2019

Owing to the upward shift in age structure, there is an increasing number of spinal diseases specific to elderly patients. Elderly spinal patients typically have a poor general condition with several medical comorbidities, low bone mineral density, more extensive and severe degeneration, and less effective treatment outcomes than young patients. This is why spinal physicians need to establish interventional nonsurgical treatment modalities for elderly patients with spinal disease. The objective of this study was to define the spinal disorders problematic to elderly patients and discuss the nonsurgical treatments for each subject.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.4045-4049
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• 2015

Objective: To investigate the effect of coenzyme complex on decreasing cardiotoxicity in elderly patients with gastrointestinal cancer who were treated by chemotherapy. Methods: From September 2011 to February 2015, we recruited 54 elderly (with more than 70 years of age) patients with gastrointestinal cancer, with advanced disease. Then treated with chemotherapy combined with or without coenzyme complex. After two cycles of treatment, the effect of coenzyme complex on decreasing cardiotoxicity were evaluated. Results: Chemotherapy was combined with coenzyme complex in 32 patients (22man, 10 woman; median age: 74 years, range: 70-87 years) without coenzyme complex in 22 patients (15man, 7 woman; median age: 73 years, range: 70-80 years) with gastrointestinal cancer. Cardiac event was significantly lower in patients treated with chemotherapy combined with coenzyme complex (p<0.01). Conclusions: Coenzyme Complex decreased cardiotoxicity when combined with chemotherapy in treating elderly patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1089-1092
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• 2013

Background: Elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have a poor outcome because of co-morbidities, poor tolerance to intensive chemotherapy and inherently more resistant disease. Clofarabine is a second generation nucleoside analogue which has shown promising activity in elderly patients with AML. This study was conducted to review the outcome of treatment with clofarabine in a group of such patients. Methods: The records of 5 elderly patients who were diagnosed to have AML and treated with clofarabine over a 12 month period were reviewed retrospectively. Results: There were 2 female and 3 male patients with a median age of 68 years (range 65-82). At the time of treatment, 2 patients had newly diagnosed AML not considered suitable for intensive therapy, while 3 patients had partial or no response to conventional chemotherapy. The overall response rate was 100%, all patients achieving a complete remission. Induction and consolidation were well tolerated. All patients developed neutropenia with a median duration of 20 days (range 17-42). One patient developed hand and foot syndrome and a generalized rash but recovered. There was no mortality and all patients remained in remission after a median follow-up of 5.2 months (Range 3-10). Conclusion: Clofarabine (alone or in combination) is active in elderly AML patients with an acceptable safety profile and should be considered a potential option in this group.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.197-200
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• 2006

We analyzed total protein (TP), albumin (AL), aspartic aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), urea nitrogen (UN), creatinine (CRE) and serum protein electrophoretic fractions in sera of rural elderly patients to evaluate the health status in rural elderly patients. We observed that the frequencies of patients showed lower level of total protein, albumin, and both total protein and albumin than them of reference range were 20.3%, 22.8% and 19.0%, respectively. The rates of patients showed higher level of AST, ALT, both of AST and ALT, UN, creatinine and both of UN and creatinine than them of reference range were 33.8%, 40.0%, 30.0%, 17.7%, 15.2% and 7.9%, respectively. Comparison of protein fractions of each patient to reference range showed that 77.2% of patients showed normal in all of patterns. Few of patients showed abnormal pattern in albumin (13.6%), ${\alpha}1-globulin (0.0%),\;{\alpha}_2-g10bulin(1.1%),\;{\beta}-globulin(1.9%)\;and\;{\gamma}-globulin(6.2%)$. These data suggest that many of rural elderly patients may suffer from heart, liver and kidney diseases. The serum protein fractions are not typical criterion to evaluate the disease, but production of proteins in rural elderly patients may be affected by liver disease and kidney disease.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.442-445
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• 2010

Objective : The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of microvascular decompression (MVD) for hemifacial spasm (HFS) in elderly patients. Methods : Between 1997 and June 2008, 1,174 patients had undergone MVD for HFS at our institute. Among these, 53 patients were older than 65 years. We retrospectively reviewed and compared the complication and the cure rates of these patients with those of younger patients. Results : There were 38 females and 15 males. The mean duration of symptoms of HFS of these patients was 94.6 months (range, 12-360 months), compared with 67.2 months (range, 3-360 months) in the younger group. The overall cure rate in elderly patients who underwent MVD for HFS during this period was 96.2%. Permanent cranial nerve dysfunctions, such as hearing loss and facial palsy, were seen in 2 patients (3.8%, 2/53) in the elderly group and 19 patients (1.7%, 19/1121) in the younger group. The difference in permanent cranial nerve dysfunction between the two groups was not statistically significant. There was no operative mortality in either group. Conclusion : Microvascular decompression is the most effective surgical modality available for the treatment of HFS. Results of this study indicate that such technique can be performed in the elderly without higher rates of morbidity or mortality. Any patient with HFS, whose general health is acceptable for undergoing general anesthesia, should be considered as a candidate for MVD.