• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.2693-2695
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• 2003

Recent advancement in technology raises fundamental questions: "what is right technology for human?", "how can we build machines for human welfare?" Interactive technology and soft engineering deals with these problems. Personal robotics for the elderly seems to be a major area in which to explore these ideas. We can start by asking "what are inhumane human conditions to be resolved by technology?" Issues lain robotics for the elderly are described and desirable roles for the robots in such applications are presented. Interdisciplinary science approach is proposed to successfully implement this technology for the elderly.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.525-534
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• 2019

Korea is facing one of the fastest aging population problems in the world due to the extension of life expectancy and low birth rates due to economic development and the development of health care. It has become difficult to take care of elderly people in need of long-term care at home, and social problems such as dementia and the increase in stroke cases are serious problems. The government is enacting and implementing the Long-Term Care Insurance Act for the purpose of improving the quality of life for senior citizens subject to long-term care and alleviating the burden of family support in order to solve such social structure and problems for senior citizens. However, as a result of the implementation of the long-term care insurance system for the elderly, the privatization of the facilities and the disorder are causing widespread requests for public accountability of the services and the enhancement of the quality of the facilities. In addition, various arrangements are needed for the production of low-wage medical care workers, tasks for quality improvement, problems regarding financing methods, and so on. In order to maintain and develop the long-term care insurance system for the elderly, the government will consider seeking ways to improve the legal and institutional aspects according to changes in the social environment of the age, as well as seeking mental and psychological measures for the stabilization of old life as well as physical health.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.165-175
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• 2015

Korean medical welfare facilities for the elderly provide the conveniences to care geriatric illness such as dementia and stroke. The medical welfare facility categorizes elderly care facilities, nursing homes, and geriatrics hospitals based on the Korean welfare of the aged act. The government makes an effort to secure feed rate and finances of medical welfare facilities. However, the qualitative improvement of facilities is inadequate. The purpose of this study is to analyze the conditions and problems of existing facilities using an environmental evaluation and to discuss the improvement direction related to the daycare centers for the elderly. The method of this study is literature review and field survey. Firstly, we analyzed the previous studies to develop the tool, evaluating the environment of day care centers for the old. Secondly, the items of environmental evaluation are deduced. Thirdly, we select the facilities to conduct field survey and analyze the results of field survey. Lastly, We discussed the problems and improvement directions through the results. It is judged that this study is an useful as the basic guideline to strengthen the minimum legal standards of day care center for the elderly due to the suggestion of insufficient environmental evaluation items.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.741-750
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of cognitive impairment, behavioral problems, and the state of mental health for elderly Korean people who have been institutionalized. Methods: A cross-sectional, nationwide survey was performed using an anonymous questionnaire. The participants in this study were 2,521 institutionalized elderly Korean people. A proportional stratified random sampling method was employed. Results: 1) Elders admitted to subacute hospitals and long term care (LTC) facilities showed a higher level of cognitive impairment compared to elders admitted to acute care hospitals. 2) Elders confined in LTC facilities showed a higher level of behavioral problems compared to elders in acute or subacute hospitals. 3) Elders admitted to subacute hospitals and LTC facilities showed more serious mental health problems, such as depression or suicidal ideation, compared to elders in acute care hospitals. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the severity of cognitive-behavioral or mental health problems do not match well with type of care setting. Therefore, health personnel working with elderly people should be provided guidance on detection and management of cognitive-behavioral and mental health problems. The necessity of a decision support system for eligibility and placement in long-term care is also discussed.

• Korean Journal of Artificial Intelligence
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 2022

In this paper, the research and development aim to strengthen the digital accessibility of the elderly by developing a kiosk incorporating AI voice recognition technology that can replace the promotional signage currently being installed and spread in the elderly and social welfare centers most frequently used by the digital underprivileged. It was intended to develop a converged system for the use of bulletin board functions, educational functions, and welfare center facilities, and to seek ways to increase the user's digital device experience through direct experience and education. Through interviews and surveys of senior citizens and social welfare centers, it was intended to collect problems and pain Points that the elderly currently experience in the process of using kiosks and apply them to the development process, and improve problems through pilot services. Through this study, it was confirmed that voice recognition technology is 2 to 6 times faster than keyboard input, so it is helpful for the elderly who are not familiar with device operation. However, it is necessary to improve the problem that there is a difference in the accuracy of the recognition rate according to the surrounding environment with noise. Through small efforts such as this study, we hope that the elderly will be a little free from digital alienation.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2009

This study aims to plan connecting living facilities considering on the Barrier Free Walking of the disabled and the elderly in the residential area. We had found several physical problems on the pedestrian's way that becomes the major factor of disturbing the barrier free movement for using living facilities in the local area by investigations and enquetes. We had suggested the arrangement method for these physical problems on the pedestrian's way and building the ideal area for living facilities by the disposition stages with the result of investigations and enquetes. After these process, we had planned connecting living facilities considering on the Barrier Free Walking of the disabled and the elderly in the residential area.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.265-273
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• 2011

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the attributing factors influencing usability of the mobile phones specifically designed for the elderly users. Efforts to identify factors that cause usability problems for the elderly users in using mobile phones can provide the groundwork for changes aimed at usability enhancement and design of interfaces of mobile phones. Background: It became important to understand the behaviors and tendencies of the elderly in communication as the society became older. The problems in digital divide is contributed to mainly lack of understanding in terms of the use pattern of the elderly and lack of consideration of their characteristics in designing user interfaces of most ICT devices. Method: A total of 30 elderly users who were over 65 years in age participated in usability evaluation test experiment and performed seven different tasks using a widely accepted model of universally designed mobile phone. Their performance was compared with that of contrast group that consisted of 10 younger participants who were on their 20s. Results: It was found that the elderly users had hard times in using mobile phones, especially in keypad manipulation among search, understanding, and manipulation subtasks. Conclusion: Older users seemed to have difficulty in all the subtasks of search, recognition, and manipulation. It was suggested that designers of mobile phones need to give careful consideration into designing visual interfaces for search tasks and keypads for easier control and input for the elderly users. Application: The study is expected to provide guidelines for the universal design of mobile phones and their interfaces for enhancing usability of the mobile phone for elderly users.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.49-68
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was 1) to review communal housing in the UK, 2) to consider the policy implications for elderly communal housing in Korea. The research methods used were 1) literature review about communal housing and related policy in the UK 2) field survey in the UK 3) interpretative suggestion for the proper policy implication to develope communal housing for the elderly in Korea. Sheltered housing in the UK had been developed as communal housing for the elderly with special needs since the 1970s. The type of sheltered housing were category 1 and category 2. Very sheltered housing with more facilities and meal services was added in 1980s. Sheltered housing was evaluated as the most humanistic solution for older people in the UK in 1980s. Because of the policy of moving institutional care to community care, sheltered housing became less in demand because of more options for older people including being able to stay in their own home. So new completion of sheltered housing by registered social landlords reduced saliently. Sheltered housing already totalled over half million units in which 5% of all elderly over 65 still lived and a small quantity of private sector for sale schemes emerged in the 1990s. The reason why the residents moved to sheltered housing was for sociable, secure, and manageable living arrangements. In general the residents were satisfied with these characteristics but dissatisfied with the service charge and quality of meals, especially in category 2.5 schemes. The degree of utilisation of communal spaces and facilities depended on the wardens ability and enthusiasm. Evaluation of sheltered housing indicated several problems such as wardens duty as a \"good neighbour\" ; difficult-to-let problems with poor location or individual units of bedsittiing type with shared bathroom ; and the under use of communal spaces and facilities. Some ideas to solve these problems were suggested by researchers through expanding wardens duty as a professional, opening the scheme to the public, improving interior standards, and accepting non-elderly applicants who need support. Some researchers insisted continuing development of sheltered housing, but higher standards must be considered for the minority who want to live in communal living arrangement. Recently, enhanced sheltered housing with greater involvement of relatives and with tied up policy in registration and funding suggested as an alternative for residential care. In conclusion, the rights of choice for older people should be policy support for special needs housing. Elderly communal housing, especially a model similar to sheltered housing category 2 with at least 1 meal a day might be recommended for a Korean Model. For special needs housing development either for rent or for sale, participation of the public sector and long term and low interest financial support for the private sector must be developed in Korea. Providing a system for scheme managers to train and retrain must be encouraged. The professional ability of the scheme manager to plan and to deliver services might be the most important factor for the success of elderly communal housing projects in Korea. In addition the expansion of a public health care service, the development of leisure programs in Senior Citizens Centre, home helper both for the elderly in communal housing and the elderly in mainstream housing of the community as well. Providing of elderly communal housing through the modified general Construction Act rather than the present Elderly Welfare Act might be more helpful to encourage the access of general people in Korea. in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

Korea is moving toward an aging society faster than the other advance countries such as the U.S. and France. Such aging phenomena are posing greater problems in rural areas than in urban areas, and particularly, decrease in productivity caused by aging population leads to economic difficulties and hinders the improvement of housing life. The purpose of this research is to examine and identify the housing conditions of the vulnerable in rural areas and to present ways to improve the elderly housing and the housing environment in rural areas and to provide basic data for materializing the policies to enhance the quality of life. The results of this research are as follows. First, the elderly in rural areas were found to receive relatively smooth supports for services related to clothing and food through the government and social organizations. But for the housing problems, it was found that there were not any supports. Second, the poor housing environment may cause diseases to the elderly with weak immunity, so ways to remedy these problems are urgently needed. Third, the vulnerable in rural areas can hardly bear the burden of improving the housing environment, so supports from the government and social organizations are needed. Fourth, ways to support the vulnerable such as households receiving basic living subsidies and to support the poor who are not receiving such subsidies should be explored.

• 한국노년학
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.707-726
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• 2017

Korea is proceeding to aging society at much faster pace than other countries. To alleviate various problems (health, environment, social relationships, psychology and emotion, and financial problems) of the elderly caused by aging society, there has been increasing attention to social capital. This study investigated types of ways that the elderly at individual level are aware of social capital and the characteristic. In addition, factors that influence the types were studied. Data from 1060 elderly with the age of 65 and older were collected in Korea. Excluding missing data on variables used in the study, data of 960 elderly were used for analyses. K-mean cluster analysis was conducted to investigate types of elderly awareness on social capital at individual level. Multinominal logistic regression was used to find out factors of the types. K-mean cluster analysis resulted in three types of awareness on social capital among the elderly: (1) potential of social capital; (2) severance of social capital; and (3) wealth of social capital. Multinominal logistic regression resulted in that compared to potential of social capital type, when the elderly were younger, inclination of politics was more progressive, they did not have religion, they did not reside in rural, and they did not live in multiplex housing, the elderly were more likely to be in severance of social capital type. Also, when the elderly were women, had higher education and standard of living, were Christian, and did not reside in rural regions. they tended to be in wealth of social capital type. Based on the study results about awareness on social capital among the elderly and factors related to the awareness types, practical and political suggestions that promote social capital to solve problems of the elderly were provided.