• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.593-600
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• 2009

In this study, disabled people's life quality according to their use of dental healthcare services were examined, and the factors that influence their life quality were examined. The subjects in this study were 198 domestic disabled people in Jeollabuk-do, on whom a survey was conducted from May 1 to June 1, 2008. After the collected data were analyzed with SPSS WIN 12.0 program, the following findings were acquired: 1. 68.2% of the subjects had an experience of using dental service institutes. Over 80.0% of the physically disabled, the mentally handicapped, and the sensory-disturbance sufferers each used dental service institutes in their locations. Regarding the reason for visiting dental service institutes, 43.4% of the physically disabled visited for regular examination (the largest group for that reason), followed by the mentally handicapped with 37.9%. 43.5% of the sensory-disturbance sufferers visited for pain and fracture. 2. The subjects' life quality level relating to oral health was found to be an average 3.39 point score. There was a statistically significant difference in their life quality levels in terms of demographic features, such as age, religion, marriage/non-marriage, education, and subjective health status variables. Those experienced in using dental service institutes enjoyed higher levels of life quality (p=.011). And, with regard to disability characteristics, the degree of disability and the period of disability influenced the quality of life with a statistical significance. 3. Regarding variables influencing the life quality of subjects, in terms of general characteristic variables, subjective health status were influential variables, and in terms of characteristic variables relating to the use of dental clinics and disability, the experience of using dental service institutes influenced the quality of life. In conclusion, nationwide efforts to nurture separate dental personnels responsible for the disabled, to expand relevant facilities and to improve the health care insurance are required to promote the oral health of domestic disabled people's.

• Korean Journal of Hospice Care
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.46-69
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• 2001

Hospice Care is the best way to care for terminally ill patients and their family members. However most of them can not receive the appropriate hospice service because the Korean health delivery system is mainly be focussed on acutly ill patients. This study was carried out to clarify the situation of hospice in Korea and to develop a hospice care delivery system model which is appropriate in the Korean context. The theoretical framework of this study that hospice care delivery system is composed of hospice resources with personnel, facilities, etc., government and non-government hospice organization, hospice finances, hospice management and hospice delivery, was taken from the Health Delivery System of WHO(1984). Data was obtained through data analysis of litreature, interview, questionairs, visiting and Delphi Technique, from October 1998 to April 1999 involving 56 hospices, 1 hospice research center, 3 non-government hospice organizations, 20 experts who have had hospice experience for more than 3 years(mean is 9 years and 5 months) and officials or members of 3 non-government hospice organizations. There are 61 hospices in Korea. Even though hospice personnel have tried to study and to provide qualified hospice serices, there is nor any formal hospice linkage or network in Korea. This is the result of this survey made to clarify the situation of Korean hospice. Results of the study by Delphi Technique were as follows: 1.Hospice Resources: Key hospice personnel were found to be hospice coordinator, doctor, nurse, clergy, social worker, volunteers. Necessary qualifications for all personnel was that they conditions were resulted as have good health, receive hospice education and have communication skills. Education for hospice personnel is divided into (i)basic training and (ii)special education, e.g. palliative medicine course for hospice specialist or palliative care course in master degree for hospice nurse specialist. Hospice facilities could be developed by adding a living room, a space for family members, a prayer room, a church, an interview room, a kitchen, a dining room, a bath facility, a hall for music, art or work therapy, volunteers' room, garden, etc. to hospital facilities. 2.Hospice Organization: Whilst there are three non-government hospice organizations active at present, in the near future an hospice officer in the Health&Welfare Ministry plus a government Hospice body are necessary. However a non-government council to further integrate hospice development is also strongly recommended. 3.Hospice Finances: A New insurance standards, I.e. the charge for hospice care services, public information and tax reduction for donations were found suggested as methods to rise the hospice budget. 4.Hospice Management: Two divisions of hospice management/care were considered to be necessary in future. The role of the hospice officer in the Health & Welfare Ministry would be quality control of hospice teams and facilities involved/associated with hospice insurance standards. New non-government integrating councils role supporting the development of hospice care, not insurance covered. 5.Hospice delivery: Linkage&networking between hospice facilities and first, second, third level medical institutions are needed in order to provide varied and continous hospice care. Hospice Acts need to be established within the limits of medical law with regards to standards for professional staff members, educational programs, etc. The results of this study could be utilizes towards the development to two hospice care delivery system models, A and B. Model A is based on the hospital, especially the hospice unit, because in this setting is more easily available the new medical insurance for hospice care. Therefore a hospice team is organized in the hospital and may operate in the hospice unit and in the home hospice care service. After Model A is set up and operating, Model B will be the next stage, in which medical insurance cover will be extended to home hospice care service. This model(B) is also based on the hospital, but the focus of the hospital hospice unit will be moved to home hospice care which is connected by local physicians, national public health centers, community parties as like churches or volunteer groups. Model B will contribute to the care of terminally ill patients and their family members and also assist hospital administrators in cost-effectiveness.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2010

Purpose: To plan and improve consumers' satisfaction by analyzing consumers' purchasing behavior of spectacles. Also this will show the need of improvement in reliance of an optician. Methods: A total of 307 people (10 to 60 years) participated in individual questionnaires. Questionnaires comprised of general characteristic of surveyed people, purchasing spectacles behavior, satisfaction after purchasing spectacles, reliability of optician, and improvement points of optician. Results: Most important points in selecting the product were the design and the price of the spectacles. 142 people (46.3%) replied "average" and 140 people (45.6%) replied "satisfying" out of maximum point of satisfaction level which was 5 points. 72.3% of people have regularly visiting optical shop due to the high accessibility, after-sales care, and courteous optician. On the contrary, 27.7% replied "never visit same optician shop again" because of the low accessibility, minimal range of products, and high price. Data showed that people had high re liability about the opticians' knowledge of product, and their technique of eye refraction. Data revealed that people did not show high satisfaction about opticians' knowledge of ophthalmology, and price of products. Most important improvement points were accurate spectacle prescription by Opticians rating 42% of reply. Factors most considered during spectacle selection among the 10 to 20 age group were design by 34.8% and price by 10.1%. Among the 40 to 50 age group, most considered factors were design by 14% and spectacle frame material by 10.1%. Conclusions: Satisfaction rate of purchasing spectacles for the total participant group was 4.2 average grades. Reliability of opticians' eye refraction result and prescription was 50.5%. However consumers wanted to obtain more accurate eye refraction result and prescription with more comprehensive explanations. Also, consumers wanted opticians to be sensitive and have appreciative eye in select spectacles for customers, and to offer precise spectacle dispensing services and courteous after-sales care.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.23-41
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to explore social supports for elderly housing and their residential lives in small cities along rural counties of the United States and Canada, and suggest future implications for age-concentrated rural villages in Korea. In this study, five small and medium cities in non-metropolitan counties of California and Ontario province were visited and elderly residents and service experts were interviewed about their perceptions of community integrated social support networks for senior residences. The senior housing complexes were built due to influx of both metropolitan and rural residents seeking warm localities, traffic connections, business purposes in active production areas. and leisure attractions. There are five main social support networks for senior housing issues in these areas. First, the areas are claimed for senior zones and accordingly health industries are encouraged by local authorities. Second, the community is homogeneously constructed as a senior friendly environment and include features such as an RV park and mobile cottages. Third, senior-helping seniors are offered active work through golf-cluster active retirement communities. Fourth, traditional theme production camps are mobilized by the elderly workers. Lastly, an information system is maintained for screening volunteers and for senior abuse prevention. On the other hand, residential lives are occasionally negatively influenced by unbalanced concentrations of elderly facilities such as nursing stations and funeral homes. For the future of Korean rural elderly policies, suggestions are made as follows: first, an integrated urban and rural township that contains attractive places for early retiring people who seek a warm atmosphere in later life needs to be constructed. Second, an integrated model retirement village of urban and rural retirement life needs to be initiated as a measure of evaluating the adaptation process of movers in senior concentrated zones. Third, a cooperation system among governmental ministries needs to be formed with the long- term goal of establishing a traditional rural town of independent housing districts and medical facilities in rural areas. Fourth, productive and active lifestyles need to be maintained as the local community and government develop successful retirement rural villages, by limiting the expansion of nursing related facilities. Finally, generation integrated visiting welfare programs and services need to be further developed for the housing areas especially in the winter, when social integration and activity are relatively low.

• 한국노년학
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.1249-1264
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• 2008

Guilt feelings are dysfunctional feelings that the primary caregiver of the frail elder are apt to have and those feelings increase a burden of caring, while there is lack of empirical study on the effect of guilt feelings on caring behaviors. In light of this, this study lays its purpose on examining the effect of the primary caregivers' guilt feelings on their burden of caring and request behaviors for help with caring, paying attention to their guilt feelings in our society where Confucian values toward supporting the elderly have remained. The questionnaire survey was conducted for 220 primary caregivers caring frail elders over 60 years of age by visiting. As a tool for measuring guilt feelings, a self-designed measure for caregivers was used (${\alpha}=.949$), and factors of guilt feelings were classified into four namely, the factors of lack of self-control, lack of resources, burnout, and the normative factor As a result, the following findings were derived. First, it was revealed that the guilt feelings of caregivers as family members have a positive correlation with a feeling of burden of caring and the feeling of burden have even effects on the four factors of guilt feelings. Second, when primary caregivers request help with caring, they feel guilty toward cohabiting family members and neighbors, and also they show no guilt feelings when using day-care services for the elderly. Especially, guilt feeling factors affecting primary caregivers were found to be the normative factor to cohabiting family members, the factor of lack of resources to neighbors, and the factor of burnout to using day-care services for the elderly. This result tells that the dysfunctional feelings of primary caregivers namely guilt feelings arising when asking help with caring not only increase their burden of caring but also can cause difficulties in sharing the role of the caregiver. Accordingly for the mental health of caregivers, we should develop programs with which we could understand and cope with their guilt feelings.