• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.531-548
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data in order to improve service quality based on empirical analyses about a relationship among positive psychological capitals, service quality, and job satisfaction of professional care workers under the Long-Term Care Insurance in South Korea. In this study, total 430 numbers of the workers who were currently working in nursing homes for the elderly at the cities of Ansan, Anyang, Bucheon, and Kwangmyeong in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, participated in self-report questionnaires. Only 393 questionnaires were used for the final analyses after excluding the ones that neither were not returned nor didn't completed it all. These are major results. First, positive psychological capitals affect positively on service quality. Second, job satisfaction works as a mediating effect in the process of positive psychological capitals affect on service quality. Based on above results, it is possible to suggest it as down below. First, it is required to have policies that will be helpful for both positive psychological capitals and capacity building through human resource management in systematic approaches. Second, it is also required to acknowledge that having positive psychological capitals is effective to improve both their job satisfaction and service quality. Therefore, it is necessary to change environmental circumstances in relevant institutions where this acknowledgement will be applied.

• 한국노년학
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.431-446
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• 2012

The objective of this study is to introduce the theory of Gerotranscendence and the ninth stage of Erikson & Erikson(1997)'s psycho-social development theory in order to enable the academic Korean field to have a more positive and fresher point of view on aging. In order to meet this objective, this study will first take a look at Erikson's 9th stage expansion theory on human development. Then we will study Gerotranscendence as the most representing phenomena among the 9 stage theory so that the Korean Gerontology field can utilize it for future plans. The definition of Gerotranscendence was first introduced by Tornstam(1994) and has been applied as Erikson & Erikson's 9 stage theory ever since. Gerotranscendence can be described as an individual that has entered his golden years after middle age, which transforms one's point of view on life from a materialistic and logical one to a more universal and transcending one. Gerotranscendence is a voluntary and overcoming process of oneself that is displayed in many seniors which leads to a lesser focus on oneself in the eyes of the society, but increases the inter-relational bonding between past and future generations. The following is a summary of the theorhetical evaluation on Gerotranscendence which was analyzed in this study. First, this study introduces the Gerotranscendence theory, which is recognized as the most representative phenomena among Erikson's 9th stage theory that has hence expanded the application of Gerontology theories in the academic field of Gerontology. Second, this study has provided a new point of view towards the elderly in the practical field of senior citizen social welfare. With this understanding, practical levels of services from various points of view can be provided to acknowledge the needs of the elderly. Third, a much wider field of research can be exchanged and provided along with other fields of studies by applying and extending this Gerotranscendence theory in Korea. It would also be especially beneficial to exchange researches within related fields of study such as psychology, sociology, nursing science, family science and the study of religion. Not to mention also lending support to hospitals for the elderly(nursing homes) and institutions related to senior welfare, or practical fields where there is an active exchange of research using Gerotranscendence theory.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.837-850
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• 2009

Previous epidemiological studies reported that significant muscle loss is observed with advancing aging, called sarcopenia. This study is to investigate the effects of treatment dumbbell exercise on prevention of sarcopenia. The subjects were elderly between 60~70 years old who participated in J-Welfare senior center exercise program at J-gu in S-city and divided into control group(N=19) and exercise group(N=8). Treatment dumbbell exercise was performed 2 times per week for 12 weeks and body composition, fitness, and blood lipid profiles were measured before and after this program. There was no significance in body fat before and after 12 weeks of treatment dumbbell exercise, but there was significance in weight(F=4.312, p=0.048), BMI(F=4.532, p=0.043), and FFM(F=4.743, p=0.039). There was no significance in fitness such as arm curl(F=1.103, p=0.304), and back scratch(F=0.214, p=0.648), but there was significance in 2-minute step(F=33.638, p<0.001), chair stand(F=14.575, p=0.001), chair sit and reach(F=7.198, p=0.013), and 8-ft up and go(F=14.890, p=0.001). The variables of blood lipid profiles such as TC(F=0.030, p=0.864), TG(F=0.142, p=0.710), HDL(F=2.066, p=0.163), glucose (F=0.125, p=0.727), and HbA1c(F=0.945, p=0.340) has no significance. It was found that treatment dumbbell exercise has positive effects on body composition and fitness but has no positive effects on blood lipid profiles of the elderly.

• 한국노년학
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.281-291
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• 2017

The present study aimed to investigate the rate of unmet healthcare needs for elderly over the age of 65 years, as well as analyze the relevance between employment status and unmet healthcare needs due to financial reasons. With regard to the study method, a logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the correlation between employment status and unmet healthcare needs due to financial reasons, targeting 5,528 subjects over the age of 65 years. The results showed that the rate of unmet healthcare needs was 18.9%, in which the rate of unmet healthcare needs due to financial reason was 8.1%. The rate of unmet health needs was higher for temporary workers(ORs=1.75) than for retirement workers. However, the rate of unmet healthcare needs caused by financial reasons was higher among day workers(ORs=1.92). In conclusion, in order to prevent unmet healthcare needs for senior Korean patients, it is necessary to not only improve the income security system for the elderly, but also improve the occupational form and level of income of these economically active citizens, considering the increase in average life expectancy. Moreover, it is also necessary to reinforce health insurance coverage systems for settling medical expenses.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1359-1375
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• 2010

Expecting the expansion of the elderly population under long-term home care with the coming of the aged society, this study purposed to propose a prevention and self-reliance support model and to get practical implications for minimizing dependency on care benefits and enhancing the effectiveness of prevention and self-reliance support. Research methods employed for this study were: first, reviewing theoretical literature for clarifying the concept of prevention and self-reliance support in providing long-term care benefits for the elderly; second, identifying factors hindering prevention and self-reliance support through analyzing standard long-term care use plans and documents related to long-term care benefits at elderly welfare centers to which the research subjects belonged; and third, surveying care benefit users on factors hindering their use of prevention and self-reliance support and their needs in the use of care benefits. Based on the results of the three types of qualitative research, we proposed directions for prevention and self-reliance support modeling and suggested practical implications for enhancing the effectiveness of prevention and self-reliance support. For this study, we collected documentary materials and conducted in-depth interviews with the participants with the consents and cooperation of managers and professional social workers at day care centers and elderly welfare centers in D City. According to the results of this study, literature review suggested that long-term care prevention and self-reliance support should be provided in a way of 'strengthening user-centered support systems,' which support elderly long-term care beneficiaries' right to lead a life as the subject of their own life. Document analysis found the absence of benefits related to health and medicine and lack of social support systems for prevention and self-reliance support, and the results of in-depth interviews suggested the necessity to strengthen services related to elderly long-term care beneficiaries' prevention and self-reliance, and the keen needs of the long-term care elders for prevention and self-reliance included: ① loneliness, anxiety, fear; ② missing for and worry about children and people; ③ moving, outing; ④ health and medical services, rehabilitation programs; ⑤ desire to use day care; ⑥ inconvenience of house structure; ⑦desire for meal menus; and ⑧ the occurrence of disuse syndrome. Based on these results, we suggested the base of prevention and self-reliance support modeling with three axes: ① strengthening user-centered support systems; ② strengthening support systems connected to health and medicine; and ③ strengthening social support systems.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.1361-1381
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• 2009

There have lately been a variety of social issues in our society due to rapid social changes. Specifically, how to approach elderly people who suffer from dementia is never an easy task, and few in-depth studies have ever focused on their quality of life due to that. The purpose of this study was to examine the quality of life of elderly people with dementia and the relationship between their quality of life and the environments of facilities for them in an attempt to lay the foundation for the development of compatible programs tailored to the environments of the facilities and for relevant policy setting. It's ultimately meant to improve the quality of life of the elderly with dementia and the environments of facilities for them. The subjects in this study were elderly people with dementia who were housed in senior residential and medical welfare facilities in Daegu and Gyeongsangbukdo. The collected data were analyzed with a SPSS 12.0 program, and frequency analysis, cross-tabs and multiple logistic regression analysis were utilized. As a result, facility environments were identified as one of the variables that had a significant impact on the quality of life of the elderly people with dementia. There are some suggestions about how to boost their quality of life: First, good environments should be prepared in consideration of the characteristics of elderly people with dementia in order for themto be satisfied with their own quality of life, and the way of looking at their potentials should be changed. Second, it's found that main caregivers affected the quality of life of the elderly people with dementia, and the kind of programs that focus on the improvement of the relationship between elderly people with dementia and their main caregivers is required. Third, there should be a change in the environments of the facilities. The facilities should be well equipped to successfully respond to the symptoms of elderly people with dementia. To redress their poor accessibility to the facilities, infrastructure involving nursing homes and professional personnels should be built by utilizing the Internet, and the facilities and local community should make concerted efforts to provide quality care to elderly people in want of it.