OBJECTIVES: To develop the Korean version of Disability Assessment for Dementia Scale(DAD-K), an instrument for functional disability for use with proxy-respondents of community-dwelling persons who have Alzheimer`s disease METHOD: Community-dwelling elderly and their caregivers with memory impairment(N=341) participated in this study to evaluate reliabilities and validities of DAD-K. RESULTS: The DAD-K demonstrated a high degree of internal consistency(Cronbach`s alpha=0.88) and excellent interrater(ICC=0.96) and test-retest(ICC=0.96) reliability and good concurrent validity. In addi- tion, it was found not to have age, education and gender bias. CONCLUSION: The DAD-K is valid and reliable instrument in Korean elderly with Alzheimer`s disease, that may help clinicians and caregivers of the population with Alzheimer`s disease make decisions regar- ding the choice of suitable interventions.
Aged ; Caregivers ; Dementia* ; Education ; Humans ; Memory ; Sexism

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate effects of the dementia family education program on dementia recognition, burden, and depression in caregivers of elders with dementia. METHODS: Aquasi-experimental research with a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized pre and post design was used with 52 caregivers of elders with dementia living in D city. Data were collected from August 12 to December 12, 2013. The dementia family education program was provided to the experimental group once a week over 8 weeks, for 90 minutes per session. Data were analyzed using χ² test, Fisher exact probability test, t-test. RESULTS: Experimental group participants who took part in the dementia family education program had higher dementia recognition scores than the control group that did not participate (t=3.79, p<.001). Experimental group participants who took part in the dementia family education program had lower burden and depression scores than the control group that did not participate (t=-2.90, p=.006) (t=-2.22, p=.034). CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that the dementia family education program enhances dementia recognition by caregivers of elders with dementia and lowers burden and depression in these caregivers. Use of the dementia family education program is recommended as an effective nursing intervention for caregivers of elders with dementia.
Caregivers* ; Dementia* ; Depression* ; Education* ; Humans ; Nursing

In order to investigate the factors associated with family burdens of schizophrenics, 92 primary caregivers and 68 siblings of 92 persons with schizophrenia were examined by means of self-report scales about the effect of positive and negative symptom behaviors, clinical and sociodemographic variables, and guilty feelings toward patient on the objective and subjective burden. The results were as follows. 1) There was no difference in the objective and subjective burden scores between the primary caregivers and siblings, even though the former showed a higher scores compared to the latter. 2) Burden scores were significantly affected by the factors such as age of patients, duration of illness, total duration of hospitalizations, monthly family income, and the experience of family education in the primary caregivers or siblings of schizophrenics. 3) Objective and subjective burden were related to both the severity of positive, negative, and the other symptom behaviors in the primary caregivers and siblings. The positive and negative symptom behaviors were more related to subjective burdens compared to objective burdens in the primary caregivers and siblings. The positive symptom behaviors were more related to perceived objective and subjective burdens compared to negative symptom behaviors in the siblings. 4) The correlations between guilty feelings toward patient and burden scores was significant only in the primary caregivers. These results could be used as useful datas to develop the more effective family intervention for reducing family burden.
Caregivers* ; Education ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Schizophrenia ; Siblings* ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: This study was to explore the level of health status, burnout, and burden of primary family caregivers of the elderly inpatients, and to identify the relations among the factors. METHOD: The subjects were a total of 232 primary family caregivers of elderly in-patients at K and E Medical Center, and were surveyed from March 1 to April 10, 2007. Measures were a health status measuring tool based on CMI developed by Brodman et al. (1945), the burnout measuring tool developed by Pines et al. (1981), and the burden measuring tool revised by Jung, Soo-Jin (1998). Data were analyzed by SPSS-WIN 12.0. RESULTS: Firstly, the mean of health status was 1.69, which means that they were mostly healthy, and the mean of burnout was 2.66, which means that they were a little burned out. The mean of burden was 2.71, which means that they were a little burdened. Second, there were high correlations between health status and burnout, between health status and burden, and between burnout and burden. Third, there were significant difference in health status and burnout according to sex and relationship, and in burden according to sex, education level and relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses need to consider the characteristics, health status, burnout, and burden of primary family caregivers.
Aged* ; Burns ; Caregivers* ; Education ; Health Status ; Humans ; Inpatients

BACKGROUND: The neuropsychiatric derangements in dementing patients are common and troublesome in their managements. The purpose of this study is to compare the behavioral changes in patients with subcortical vascular dementia (SVaD) and to those in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) by using the Korean version of the neuropsychiatric inventory (K-NPI). METHODS: The K-NPI was administrated to the close caregivers of 19 patients with AD (who met the criteria of the NINCDS-ADRDA for probable AD) and 14 patients with SvaD (who met the criteria of the NINDS-AIREN criteria for probable or possible VaD). Groups were matched for age, education and dementia severity. We evaluated the prevalence, the composite score (frequency X severity) of each behavioral domain in K-NPI between two groups. RESULTS: The most common behavioral disturbances were anxiety (63%) in AD and apathy/indifference (93%) in SVaD. Patients with SVaD had significantly greater total K-NPI scores than patients with AD and exhibited apathy/indifference, agitation/aggression and anxiety more frequently. Composite score of apathy/indifference over 4.7 point discriminates between AD and SVaD with accuracy of 75.8%. CONCLUSIONS: The K-NPI provides behavioral profiles that differentiate patients with SVaD from patients with AD. Patients with SVaD are more behaviorally disturbed. Clinicians need to pay more attention to the behavioral disturbances when managing the patients with SVaD.
Alzheimer Disease* ; Anxiety ; Caregivers ; Dementia ; Dementia, Vascular* ; Education ; Humans ; Prevalence

PURPOSE: This study attempted to identify the effectiveness and substantiality of a dementia education program for family caregivers of the demented elderly. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study using a nonequivalent control pretest-posttest design was carried out from April 15 to July 29 in 2012 with 137 subjects divided into an experimental group (n=70) and a control group (n=67). This study examined the subjects' general characteristics, and evaluated their nursing method four times, respectively, before the intervention, right after the intervention, and 2 and 4 weeks after the intervention, and then analyzed collected data through t-test and chi2-test. RESULTS: In the experimental group that had received the dementia education, the nursing method score was significantly higher right after the intervention (t=8.33, p<.001) and 2 weeks after the intervention (t=8.01, p<.001) than before the intervention, but their score 4 weeks after the intervention was not significantly different from that of the control group (t=1.08, p=.28). CONCLUSION: The dementia education was found to be effective in improving the nursing method of family caregivers of the demented elderly. This study implies that further follow-up dementia education is necessary between 2 and 4 weeks to maintain the effectiveness.
Aged* ; Caregivers* ; Dementia* ; Education* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Nursing*

PURPOSE: This study was done to evaluate the long-term effects of a dementia education program for certified geriatric caregivers (CGCs) caring for elders with dementia in a nursing home. METHODS: The research design was one group pretest-posttest design and included 29 CGCs who completed the pre-test, dementia education program, and post-test (immediately after, 1 month after, and 3 months after the completion of the program). The education program was conducted for 3 weeks, and effects of the program were evaluated using measures of knowledge of dementia, care of elders with dementia, work stress, and work satisfaction. RESULTS: Although there was no significant change in the knowledge of dementia, it was significantly improved immediately after the program (Z=-2.03, p=.042). There was a significant change in the care of elders with dementia by the CGCs (chi2=13.37, p=.004), but no significant changes in work stress or work satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that dementia education program is effective in improving knowledge of dementia and care of elders with dementia by CGCs. The results also provide valuable basic data for developing effective dementia education programs for CGCs in nursing homes, but further research is needed using a high quality education programs and research methodology.
Caregivers* ; Dementia* ; Education* ; Humans ; Job Satisfaction ; Nursing Homes* ; Research Design

OBJECTIVE: We investigated caregivers' attitudes toward dementia, which may play a key role in the timely treatment and optimal care of people with dementia (PWD), and patient and caregiver factors potentially associated with these attitudes. METHODS: As a part of the Nationwide Survey on Dementia Care in Korea, we evaluated the attitudes of 731 community-dwelling caregivers of PWD with the Dementia Attitude Scale (DAS). Using stepwise multiple regression analysis, we investigated the sociodemographic factors of the caregivers, the clinicodemographic factors of the PWD, and the situational factors of caregiving that may influence caregivers' attitudes. RESULTS: The mean score on the DAS total was 80.65+/-16.0 (maximum : 140). The mean score on the DAS Knowledge subscale, which reflects awareness of dementia, was 42.86+/-9.6 (maximum : 70), and that on the DAS Comfort subscale, which reflects emotional and behavioral attitudes toward dementia, was 37.79+/-10.3 (maximum : 70). Non-spouse caregiver, living in a rural area, completion of a formal care education program (caregiver factors) and female patient, high educational level, high clinical dementia rating and mild behavioral symptoms (patient factors) were associated with a high DAS total score. CONCLUSION: We found much room for improvement in caregivers' attitudes towards PWD in Korea, indicating a need for strategies to improve these attitudes, targeting the at-risk group.
Behavioral Symptoms ; Caregivers* ; Dementia* ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Korea

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate continuously on how a short-term family psychoeducation program for schizophrenia would change the emotional stress and the knowledge of the family members. METHODS: Subjects were the family members who participated in the short-term family psychoeducation program for schizophrenia. The participants were asked to fill out self-reporting forms for 3 times-before commencing the 6-week family education, immediately after completing the program, and 3 months after completing the program respectively. RESULTS: A total of 46 subjects participated, and 20 of them responded to all questionnaires. Three months after the completion of psychoeducation, depression and anxiety subscale score among the General Health Questionnaire-28 decreased by 2.60 (p=0.04) and 2.20 (p=0.04) respectively. In caregiver burden criterion, the score decreased by 9.45 (p=0.04) in 3 months after completing the education. In knowledge about schizophrenia test, the score increased by 2.60 score (p<0.001), and this result was maintained after 3 months. CONCLUSION: It was found that a short-term family education program for schizophrenia was effective not only in improving the knowledge on the disease but also in reducing anxiety and depression, and this effect was maintained immediately after the psychoeducation and so was it as time passed as well.
Anxiety ; Caregivers ; Depression ; Education ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Schizophrenia* ; Stress, Psychological

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify family burden, resilience, spiritual well-being and quality of life of primary caregivers of people with mental illness. METHODS: Participants were 160 primary caregivers of people with mental illness being treated at one of three mental health clinics in Busan. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe test, Pearson's correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: Quality of life was positively correlated with resilience (r=.55, p=.006), spiritual well-being (r=.41, p<.001), and negatively correlated with family burden (r=-.28, p<.001). Factors influencing quality of life were resilience (β=.36), family monthly income (β=.24), support from others (β=.20) and education (β=.18). The explanatory power of these factors for quality of life of primary caregivers of people with mental illness was 45%. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that resilience is the most important factor affecting quality of life of primary caregivers of people with mental illness. Therefore, the development of nursing interventions to improve resilience and enhance the quality of life of primary caregivers is necessary.
Busan ; Caregivers* ; Education ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Nursing ; Quality of Life*