• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.81-91
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to suggest strategies for advancing local-government-based accreditation systems and surveyor training in long-term care facilities in Korea. Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature including research papers and official reports issued by governments from the United States, Australia, and Japan was conducted to explore domestic and international policies related to long-term care facility certification and accreditation systems. Results: The USA has two types of care quality assurance systems including mandatory certification (5-star rating system) by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and voluntary accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Australia operates a government-based mandatory accreditation system for all long-term care facilities through the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency. Japan, particularly the Tokyo district, operates a third-party evaluation system that involves the voluntary participation of long-term care facilities. Conclusion: This study provides several strategies to enhance accreditation processes and surveyors'expertise. For instance, motivating facilities to voluntarily participate in accreditation is necessary by 1) providing sufficient and continuous consultations and feedback about how to improve care quality, 2) differentiating accreditation domains and indicators from the national health insurance certification system, and 3) actively utilizing accreditation results and providing incentives.

• 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.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.705-719
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to look into the health insurance systems and application in Korea and Japan in order to improve elderly people's quality of life. Their quality of life can be improved by upgrading the long term care systems; and extending treatment and prevention. Methods: This study is to examine long term care systems articles through content analysis in the National Health Insurance Service. Data were collected from the printed Internet and analyzed. Results: A part-time dentist system in elderly care facilities has trouble in taking care of old people's oral health due to both lack of time and operational difficulties. It is urgent to arrange dental experts who can permanently stay in care facilities and to build systems which can be managed periodically and continually. Conclusions: As having staff training for the efficiency and using the manpower in care facilities (care workers), it is necessary to solve the unequal medical service in oral health care for the elderly in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.241-249
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate possible ways to expand the services of home-visit nursing through a review of the progress, achievements, and obstacles of home-visit nursing; a pilot project of an integrated home-service; the application of the Omaha System; as well as a case analysis of providing home-visit nursing services. Method: An integrated review was conducted using various source materials, including laws, previous studies, and a case analysis. Results: In case analysis of providing visiting nursing service, rehabilitation nursing, end-of-life nursing, and dementia care showed high nursing needs. It was necessary that the various home visit nursing services in the intervention area of the Omaha System, administrative services, case management, and center operation activities were all included in the payment systems of long-term care insurance. Conclusion: In the future, home visit nursing services of long-term care insurance should be reborn in the form of a center for integrated case management in the community, which would set long-term goals until the time of a client's death and encompass the realm of human rights for health, quality of daily life, and a dignity of life.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.70-81
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was performed to explore the trend of nursing research in the Korean long-term care system. Methods: Articles published between 2008 and 2021 were searched using the terms "long-term care system" and "nursing." Ninety-one articles were analyzed and classified into five categories according to research methods. Data were extracted through a systematic review process and underwent descriptive statistics and content analyses. Results: The most analyzed variable in the survey studies was job satisfaction. Many variables were classified into input and output factors using Donabedian's model. The content analysis showed that most suggestions were about improving the political regulation system. Conclusion: It is necessary to establish a research foundation to provide research funding and support to cultivate future nursing research in long-term care. Systematic improvement of research in nursing should be continuously pursued to revitalize nursing services, expand nursing service interventions, and improve management competency programs in nursing institutions.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.211-225
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• 2010

Purpose: This comparative study analyzed information systems including manpower, contents of service, clients, and costs among four nations. Methods: A literature review of relevant publications from Korea, United States, Japan, and Germany supported the use of several plans to activate home nursing care services under the long-term care insurance system in Korea. Results: Korean home nursing care services require quality improvements. The results indicated that a rule is necessary that rations simple visiting service and home nursing care services under the long-term care insurance system, that an integrated management system for elderly care is required, and that the revised delivery of services needs to establish and reflect on various factors to estimate the value in a home visiting nursing care cost system. Conclusion: The data should be valuable in establishment of home nursing care services under the long-term insurance system in Korea.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.23-30
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• 2021

Korea currently provides long-term care benefits for the elderly with poor functionality, but most of the service providers are private businesses. This is the time when quality management of care services is required, which is just around the corner of the super-aged era. In this study, we would like to look at the case in which 'A company', which operates a long-term care institution, attempted to make voluntary changes ahead of social demands. The company tried to transform the social needs of quality management by judging them as opportunities, not threats, and establishing an integrated database of centers. First, the company processed data and built a cloud-based database system. Second, the company automatically linked data from existing systems for the efficiency of data utilization. Third, the company pursued visualization for the convenience of data utilization. This allowed the company to make data-driven strategic decisions internally. This is expected to increase sales as it will soon lead to securing new customers and pioneering new markets. It is also significant in that it can provide best practices for the long-term care industry.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.258-271
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• 2022

The rapidly aging trend of Korea is a major factor that threatens the sustainability of the long-term care insurance system. Therefore, looking at how Japan and Germany mitigated the financial burden when they managed similar long-term care insurance systems will provide important implications for improving the Korean system in the future. The study was conducted using the literature review method, and the "country" was set as a unit for the case analysis. The three countries selected are Korea, Japan, and Germany. Recently in Korea, the insurance premium rates of all subjects have been rapidly rising, which can exacerbate the issue of intergenerational equity. On the other hand, Japan has responded to the aggravating finances for long-term care insurance due to aging by raising coinsurance for selected groups like the wealthy elderly. Germany is selectively raising the insurance premium rates by additionally increasing the premium rate for childless recipients. A more preventive and quality-oriented care service plan can be promoted by referring to the recent changes in Japan and Germany. In addition, a more effective and selective increase in payment burden in Japan and Germany could be considered in response to a recent equity issue in Korea.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.173-179
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• 2022

Background: This study aimed to identify patterns of elderly patients who transferred from long-term care hospitals to emergency rooms and provide the evidence of emergency medical systems to prepare for a super-aged society. Methods: The data source was the National Emergency Department Information System database from January 2014 to December 2019 in Korea. We performed a cross-sectional study among elderly patients (≥65 years) who transferred from a long-term care hospital to an emergency room. Trend analysis was conducted by year. Results: We identified 225,765 elderly patients who were transferred from long-term care hospitals to emergency rooms between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2019. The proportion of the study population and their mean age were recently increased (p<0.001, respectively). The proportion of elderly patients being re-transferred (p=0.049) and the patients re-transferred to long-term care hospitals is significantly increased (p=0.005). Conclusion: The establishment of efficient emergency medical services for an aging society is important. It is necessary to develop a healthcare network with the government, long-term care hospitals, and medical institutions in the community suitable for preventing disease deterioration.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.107-119
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• 2001

There has been pointed out that a great portion of hospitalized patients stay in hospitals longer than necessary, often even after the completion of necessary care. This causes that hospital resources are not used efficiently. In order to identify underlying forces in postponing inpatients' discharge, this study aimed to investigate reasons for long-term stay of patients admitted in general hospitals. A total of 135 patients, who were staying at 7 general hospitals in Inchon and Kyonggi-Do for more than 60 days, were surveyed with a self-administered questionnaire between April 3 and April 10, 2000. Medical reasons including incompleteness of necessary care, difficulty in receiving outpatient-based care, and being under physical therapy were the most significant factors associated with long-term stay, followed by the lack of familial resources to take care of patients after discharge. Financial problems such as inability to pay for hospital bills were not significant factors influencing long-term stay. Regression analyses were conducted for medical reasons, familial resources, and financial problems, respectively. It was shown that receiving physical therapy and the number of admission in the past were significant predictors for medical reasons. The lack of familial resources as a reason for long-term stay had a positive relationship with the degree of need for aid in daily living. It may be recommended for the hospitals to cope with administrative problems due to the patients' long-term stay, considering the reasons of it, and their characteristics. And also, institutional efforts like vitalizing the home care service systems by hospitals as the continuing care after discharge should be needed.