• Journal of the Korean housing association
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.27-37
• /
• 2013

Because of rapid aging, housing stability of elderly household is becoming an important social problem. The population of the elderly people was 11.3% and that of the elderly household was 23.2%, about 407 million, in 2010. Yet, social policies for elderly people are focusing on the household who takes care of the elderly people, not on the elderly headed households. These policies fail to reflect the reality. Housing satisfaction of the elderly household is different based on the tenure type and the satisfaction can be further affected by the types of elderly household within the same tenure group. Thus, strengthening the policies for the elderly headed households as well as differentiating the policies based on the types of household is required in order to meet the needs of the elderly households. For the elderly household living in a rent house in a city, a housing voucher is needed and for the low income elders who own their houses, housing renovation is required. Public housing affects only the residential satisfaction of single elderly households, not for all elderly households probably because public housing does not meet the demand of the elderly households appropriately. Since the elderly households wanting to move is noticeably small, a policy that provides proper facilities within the elders' neighborhood is most necessary. Also, in order to lessen the burden of housing expenses of the elders with low income, a public housing policy, in which 2-3 people living together in one public housing, needs to be examined.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.149-156
• /
• 2007

This study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of food commodity supplementary program for low-income, living alone elderly people. The subjects were 57 low income aged females who lived alone in Bucheon city. The food commodity supplementary program lasted for 6 months, supplying one meal per day consisting with grains, meat, vegetables, dairy and fruit. Dietary intake, anthropometric measurements, and blood profiles were assessed. After 6 months of food commodity supplemented period, dietary intakes of protein(p<0.05), calcium(p<0.05), iron(p<0.05) and vitamin B(p<0.001) were significantly increased. The mean weight(p<0.05) and BMI(p<0.05) were increased, and the frequency of BMI over 25kg/m$^2$ was also raised from 54.4% to 59.7%. Serum concentrations of total protein(p<0.001) and albumin(p<0.001) were significantly increased, indicating improvement of protein status. The frequency of anemia was decreased from 45.6% to 26.3%. However, the proportion of dyslipidemia was increased. In general the stable food commodity supplementary program was effective to improve general nutritional status of the poor aged who lived alone, however, nutrient intakes still did not meet RDA for the elderly and the rates of obesity and dyslipidemia were increased. Therefore, local government should provide more active food support program and the selection of food items for commodity should be evaluated at regular intervals.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.333-346
• /
• 2014

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to identify factors that influence depression for low-income elderly who live at home from the International Classification of Functioning model (ICF). Methods: The subjects were 205 elderly people living at home in two public health centers located in metropolitan cities. Subjects were divided according to their depression scores, which were measured using the GDS-short form, including normal, risk, and depression groups. Each variable was consistent with factors of the ICF model, including health condition, individual factors, environmental factors, body function, activities, and participation. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. ANOVA, $x^2$, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and Multinomial logistic regression with IBM SPSS 21.0 were used for analysis of the data. Results: Statistically significant differences were observed among normal, risk, and depression groups regarding personal factors. Gender, education level, numbers of diseases, perceived health, life satisfaction, and social support were identified as the variables that had a significant impact on depression of low-income elderly living at home. Conclusion: Results of this study indicate that there is a need for construction and implementation of strategies that strengthen life satisfaction and social support in order to lower depression of low-income elderly.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.565-574
• /
• 2018

Previous studies have shown that forest therapy program can help prevent dementia. However, few studies have focused on low-income elderly people living alone. The current study examined the meanings that the elderly living alone receiving medical care assigned to the urban forest therapy program, as a way to understand the pathways that nature-based intervention affect preventing dementia. Twenty-one participants were recruited and they participated in a five-week urban forest therapy program. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 21 participants who experienced the urban forest therapy program, and analyzed qualitative data using thematic analysis. Results showed that all themes identified were related to connectedness with oneself, neighbors and nature. Awarenesses of change were consisted of positive and negative themes. The themes of positive awareness were improvements of mental and emotional condition, feelings of isolation and loneliness, and health-related lifestyle. The negative themes were terminations of short-term programs and inconvenient access to the urban forest. Based on these data, we suggest an urban green welfare framework for future research and interventions for preventing dementia of underprivileged elderly group.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.147-159
• /
• 2020

Objectives: This study is the human factors and disease factors of the copayment system for the elderly (>65 years old) and to identify does the current status and characteristics of the applied elderly and conducted to provide basic data. Methods: Sample cohort data from the National Health Insurance Corporation database, from the years 2012-2015, were analyzed of 21,772 elderly people over the copayment ceiling. Results: The ratio of those who exceeded the copayment ceiling system rose sharply from progressive rates of 3.39% in 2012, 3.69% in 2013 and 5.03% in 2014, to rates of 37.13% from 2013. Factors identified that affect the instances of being over the copayment ceiling were: age, income group, region, severity, disability, sickness distribution, inpatient days, and outpatient days. Conclusions: The reorganization of the copayment ceiling system in 2014 favored low-income families of the elderly, but in 2015, the proportion of elderly was low (only 5.78%). The government's policies needs to change to allow for the amount of the deductible upper limit for low- and middle- income groups to be further subdivided in order for the elderly to receive more deductibles.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.99-110
• /
• 2017

Objectives: I examined the health and oral health status of elderly people living alone compared to elderly people living with their families by using data (2014) from the 6th Two-Year Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Methods: Among 1,454 health survey respondents aged 65 years and over who participated in the 6th Two-Year Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2014, 311 were elderly people living alone and 1,143 were elderly people living with their families. Results: In terms of socio-demographic characteristics, the percentage of elderly people living alone was high especially in women and when the subjects' age, education level, and income level were low. In terms of oral health status, the percentage of elderly people living alone was high when elderly people thought that their subjectively viewed health was poor and the frequency of drinking and exercise was low. In terms of oral health status, the percentage of elderly people living alone was high among elderly people who did not have good oral health in their subjective view and did not get oral examinations for a year and had a lot of difficulty chewing. Conclusions: Family support or additional social support for elderly people who live alone should be considered to promote the healthy lives of elderly people.

• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.304-310
• /
• 2023

With the development of information and communication technology, modern people are receiving various benefits, and knowledge and use of information and communication technology are becoming essential qualities in modern people's lives. There are people who do not enjoy the rich benefits of this information and communication society, and the so-called 'digital divide' acts as an obstacle that prevents the information and communication from enjoying a rich life. Currently, there are four major information underprivileged classes in Korea, the disabled, the elderly, low-income class and farmers and fishermen, respectively. The purpose of this study is to identify the current status of the digital divide for the low-income class and to analyze the causes of the digital divide. To this end, in this study, we analyze statistics on digital divide at the national level and analyzed the digital divide of low-income class from three perspectives: information access, information capability, and information use. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the lack of information capability was the biggest cause of the digital divide, and in particular, information management ability was the most insufficient among information capabilities.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.16-24
• /
• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the mediating effect of self-esteem and depression in the relationship between perceived health status of the low-income elderly and their suicide ideation. Methods: Participants were 201 elderly people living at home in two cities who were receiving home health services from public health centers. Face-to-face interviews were conducted from October in 2013 to April in 2014. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0. Results: Subjects' perceived health status had a direct effect on increasing self-esteem and reducing depression. Subjects' self-esteem and depression had a direct effect on suicide ideation. Perceived health status had an indirect effect on suicide ideation that was mediated by self-esteem and depression. Conclusion: Results of this study indicate that to prevent suicide of the elderly, it is critical to increase their health status. Additionally, there is a need to construct and implement strategies to strengthen self-esteem of low-income elderly in order to decrease depression.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.589-598
• /
• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that increase of the risk for falls in low-income elders in urban areas. Methods: The participants were elderly people registered in one of public health centers in one city. Data were collected by interviewing the elders, assessing their environmental risk factors, and surveying relevant secondary data from the public health center records. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were performed using SPSS version 14. Results: Stroke, diabetes, visual deficits, frequency of dizziness, use of assistive devices and moderate depression were statistically significant risk factors. The comorbidity of chronic diseases with other factors including depression, visual deficit, dizziness, and use of assistive devices significantly increased the risk of falls. From multiple logistic regression analysis, statistically significant predictors of falls were found to be stroke, total environmental risk scores, comorbiditiy of diabetes with visual deficits, and with depression. Conclusion: Fall prevention interventions should be multifactorial, especially for the elders with stroke or diabetes, who were identified in this study as the high risk group for falls. A fall risk assessment tool for low-income elders should include both the intrinsic factors like depression, dizziness, and use of assistive devices, and the extrinsic factors.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.23-36
• /
• 2012

Objectives : The coverage of Korean National Health Insurance is limited to basic level. Korean government encourages private health insurance for covering medical securities. So, many studies examined the determinants of purchasing private health insurance. However, 11% of Korean population is older than 65 in 2011. Considering the elderly is important to establish a health policy. The aim of this study is to examine factors determining the purchase of private health insurance among middle-aged and elderly Korean adults. Methods : We used the second Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA), selected 8,688 sample of the aged 47 or older for the analysis. KLoSA collected information on demographic characteristics, income, health- related factors. KLoSA data include in the number of outpatient, inpatient, oriental hospital visit, dental clinic visit for two years. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between the determinants of purchasing private health insurance and the factors which include age, gender, education, residential district, marital status, smoking, drinking, physical exercise, economic activity status, national health insurance type, income, the number of chronic disease, and the number of outpatient, inpatient, oriental hospital visit, dental clinic visit for two years. Results : People who were older, did not live in a city, had higher IADL, currently drunk alcohol, did exercise regularly and had chronic diseases more than three were inclined not to purchase private health insurance. Females, the married, well-educated, past & currently smokers, the employed, high income earners, national health insurers, metropolitan citizens and someone who got high MMSE were more likely to purchase private health insurance. The more people experienced outpatients, inpatients, dental clinics and Chinese medicine clinics, the more private health insurance was purchased. The elderly people over 75 had more private health insurance than the aged 65-74. The strongest factors for private health insurance is gender, and economic status such as income. Conclusion : In this study, we found healthy-high income people were more likely to purchase private health insurance. In contrast, unhealthy-low income and older people did not. The economic factors were strongly related with private health insurance in aged over 75. These mean inequality exists in the using private health insurance. Therefore, the government should consider vulnerable social group before expanding private health insurance.