PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors related to the wellbeing of the family caregivers of the elderly with a stroke. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 199 elderly treated in four oriental hospitals in Korea, and their primary family caregivers. The data was collected by interviewsand a self reported questionnaire, during the period from October, 2003 to April, 2004. RESULTS: The results of this study were as follows. The mean score of wellbeing of family caregivers was 60.6412.63. The factors related to wellbeing of family caregivers were sex, age, education, depression, illness severity, ADL, paralysis, and speech disability in elderly characteristics. Among family caregivers characteristics, education, relation, and burden were significantly related. In situational variables, family income and the previous relationship between the elderly and family caregivers were related to wellbeing. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the most powerful predictor of wellbeing was the burden of family caregivers. A combination of the depression of elderly and age of family caregivers accounted for 50.3% of the variance of wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS: On developing the nursing intervention for improving wellbeing of family caregivers, many factors should be considered, especially caregiver burden, and elderly depression.
Aged ; Caregivers/*psychology ; Female ; Home Nursing/*psychology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Questionnaires ; Regression Analysis ; Stroke/*nursing

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to understand and describe the overcoming experiences of family members caring for elderly patients with dementia at home. METHODS: Data came from autobiographies on the overcoming experiences of caregiving from 31 participants, who had submitted the autobiographies to a public contest held by the Seoul Metropolitan Center for Dementia in 2012. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Four overcoming stages emerged from the analysis: confronting stage; challenging stage; integrating stage; and transcendental stage, representing transformation of experiences from frustration and suffering to happiness and new hope in life. The confronting stage illustrates severe negative feelings and exhaustion occurring after the diagnosis of dementia. The challenging stage signifies major driving forces in taking good care of their patients. It includes tender loving memories about the patients as well as family and social supports. The integrating stage shows genuine empathy for the patients' situation and the happiness of 'here and now', while the transcendental stage represents new hope in the future. CONCLUSION: Health professionals need to support caregivers to find true meaning of caring and happiness in everyday life, while providing specific information on dementia care and relieving various negative feelings.
*Adaptation, Psychological ; Caregivers/*psychology ; Dementia/*nursing ; Family Relations ; Female ; Home Nursing ; Humans ; Male ; Stress, Psychological ; Writing

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore women caregivers' lived experiences in caring at home for a family member with dementia and to identify conditions that oppress women in the context of family caregiving. METHOD: This study was conducted within the feminist perspectives using qualitative secondary data. Ten secondary data conveying self reflective contents were selected from the 25 original data obtained in 1999 to 2000. RESULT: Six themes that emerged from the qualitative thematic content analysis were; androcentric view of family caregiving, undervalued family caregiving by the family members, Self rationalization in the context of family caregiving, family-centric care mechanism, exemplary caring within the family context, and inter-familial relationships among women. CONCLUSION: The main focus of feminist research is to provide empowerment for the women research participants and to bring about social change of oppressive constraint through some actions. On the basis of the research findings, therefore, action strategies from feminist perspectives were suggested in some aspects of health care delivery sectors, nursing education and research sectors, and administrative sectors.
Adult ; Attitude ; Caregivers/*psychology ; Dementia/*nursing/psychology ; *Family ; Family Relations ; Female ; Home Nursing ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Stress, Psychological

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore women caregivers' lived experiences in caring at home for a family member with dementia and to identify conditions that oppress women in the context of family caregiving. METHOD: This study was conducted within the feminist perspectives using qualitative secondary data. Ten secondary data conveying self reflective contents were selected from the 25 original data obtained in 1999 to 2000. RESULT: Six themes that emerged from the qualitative thematic content analysis were; androcentric view of family caregiving, undervalued family caregiving by the family members, Self rationalization in the context of family caregiving, family-centric care mechanism, exemplary caring within the family context, and inter-familial relationships among women. CONCLUSION: The main focus of feminist research is to provide empowerment for the women research participants and to bring about social change of oppressive constraint through some actions. On the basis of the research findings, therefore, action strategies from feminist perspectives were suggested in some aspects of health care delivery sectors, nursing education and research sectors, and administrative sectors.
Adult ; Attitude ; Caregivers/*psychology ; Dementia/*nursing/psychology ; *Family ; Family Relations ; Female ; Home Nursing ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Stress, Psychological

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify participation by home healthcare nurses in clinical decision making and factors influencing clinical decision making. METHODS: A descriptive survey was used to collect data from 68 home healthcare nurses in 22 hospital-based home healthcare services in Korea. To investigate participation, the researcher developed 3 scenarios through interviews with 5 home healthcare nurses. A self-report questionnaire composed of tools for characteristics, factors of clinical decision making, and participation was used. RESULTS: Participation was relatively high, but significantly lower in the design phase (F=3.51, p=.032). Competency in clinical decision making (r=.45, p<.001), perception of the decision maker role (r=.47, p<.001), and perception of the utility of clinical practice guidelines (r=.25, p=.043) were significantly correlated with participation. Competency in clinical decision making (Odds ratio [OR]=41.79, p=.007) and perception of the decision maker role (OR=15.09, p=.007) were significant factors predicting participation in clinical decision making by home healthcare nurses. CONCLUSION: In order to encourage participation in clinical decision making, education programs should be provided to home healthcare nurses. Official clinical practice guidelines should be used to support home healthcare nurses' participation in clinical decision making in cases where they can identify and solve the patient health problems.
Adult ; Caregivers/psychology ; Community Health Nursing ; Home Care Services ; *Home Nursing ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Middle Aged ; *Nursing Diagnosis ; Odds Ratio ; Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that affect the psychological well-being in family caregivers of stroke patients. METHOD: The General Health Perception, short form 36, Health Survey Questionaire was used to measure health perception. The Caregiving Mastery Scale was used to assess the mastery, while the Psychological General Well-Being Index was used to examine the level of well-being. RESULT: Subjective health, caregiving mastery, patient's ADL and caregiving duration influenced on caregiver's psychological well-being. Subjective health had effect on psychological well-being both directly and indirectly. Caregiving duration and patient's ADL had indirect effect on psychological well-being through caregiving mastery. CONCLUSION: It is need to develop a health program for the caregivers of stroke patient's and to provide nursing intervention to improve the caregiver's ability, thereby improving the well-being of the family caregivers.
Quality of Life ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Korea ; Humans ; *Home Nursing ; Health Status ; Female ; *Family ; Cerebrovascular Accident/*nursing ; Caregivers/*psychology ; Adult

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the effects of hope intervention on hope and depression of cancer patients staying at home. METHODS: The study design was a randomized control group design. The subjects consisted of forty cancer patients randomly selected who were registered at S-Gu Public Health Center. Hope intervention, which was composed of hope assessment, hope objective setting, positive self identity formation, therapeutic relationships, spiritual & transcendental process improvement, positive environmental formation and hope evaluation, was provided from November 20, 2006 to January 26, 2007. RESULTS: The 1-1 hypothesis, "The experimental group which received hope intervention will have a higher score of hope than the control group", was supported(t=-3.253, p= .003). The 1-2 hypothesis, "The experimental group which received hope intervention will have a higher level of hope index than the control group", was supported (t=-4.001, p= .000). Therefore the 1st hypothesis, "The experimental group which received hope intervention will have a higher level of hope than the control group" was supported. The 2nd hypothesis, "The experimental group which received hope intervention will have a lower level of depression than the control group", was not supported (t=1.872, p= .070). CONCLUSION: Hope intervention is an effective nursing intervention to enhance hope for patient with cancer.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Aged ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Demography ; Depression/*psychology ; Female ; Home Care Services ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms/nursing/*psychology ; Oncologic Nursing/methods ; Quality of Life

PURPOSE: This study was a qualitative research study in which focus group interviews were used to collect data on the meaning of respite for family caregivers who are taking care of elders with dementia. METHODS: The focus group interviews and participants consisted of 2 family caregiver groups, for a total of 8 people taking care of their elders and 5 professional caregivers working in a geriatrics hospital or social welfare institutions. Content analysis was used and debriefing notes were referred in order to analyze the data. RESULTS: The meaning of respite in this research was measured using 4 main categories: 'Temporary break from routine', 'direct help', 'psychological comfort', 'valuables which cannot be taken easily' and 9 subcategories: 'Temporary diversion of attention', 'temporarily free from my duty', 'taking care of oneself', 'receiving economic help', 'empathize with others', 'comfort based on trust', 'resting together with the elder', 'no time to rest', 'cannot get out of one's obligatory duty'. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study show that rest means not only a temporary relief from caretaking, but also a real respite based on the patients' stable state and comfort. These results indicate a new meaning for respite, that the first step of respite program has to begin even when the caregivers do not recognize the need for respite.
Adult ; Aged ; Caregivers/*psychology ; Dementia/*nursing ; Family ; Female ; Geriatric Nursing ; Home Nursing ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nurse-Patient Relations ; *Respite Care

The purpose of this study was to develop a job stress scale for hospital-based home care nurses in Korea. The process was construction of the conceptual framework, development of the preliminary items, verification of the content validity, item analysis and test of the reliability. The preliminary items were based on literature review and in-depth interviews with home care nurses. As a result, eight categories and sixty items were selected. These were reviewed by seven specialists for content validity and finally fifty one items were chosen. Data was collected from 180 home care nurses who were engaged in 87 hospitals from August to September 2003. The result of item analysis one was excepted. The final item count was 50. Categories were as follows: overload work(8 items), lack of specialized knowledge and technique(5 items), ethical dilemma(4 items), role conflict(5 items), interpersonal relationships(6 items), visiting home environment(9 items), driving conditions(4 items) and lack of administrative support(9 items), The reliability of the scale by Cronbach's alpha was .948 and the domain's reliability ranged from .649 to .841. The result of this study could be used to measure the job stress of home care nurses. However, for further validity and reliability, repeated studies will be necessary.
Adult ; Female ; *Home Care Services, Hospital-Based ; Humans ; Job Satisfaction ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Nurses/*psychology ; *Nursing Services ; Questionnaires ; Stress, Psychological/diagnosis/*etiology

INTRODUCTIONResearch suggests that methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) effectively reduces opiate dependence and related health and social problems. However, few studies have examined its effectiveness among the elderly. This study examined a monthly MMT regime for elderly opium addicts attending the National Addictions Management Service, Singapore.

MATERIALS AND METHODSThis study used a cross-sectional design and comprised 40 patients attending the addiction service and 40 caregivers who monitored methadone consumption (mostly patients' sons and daughters). Participants completed a semi-structured interview comprising measures of opiate craving and withdrawal, physical and psychological health. Objective measures were urine drug screens and blood tests.

RESULTSParticipants who averaged 74.8 years old had been using opium for around 44 years and had been in MMT for an average of 35 months. The maintenance dose of methadone was 9.2 mg/day. At interview, no opiate usage (other than methadone) was detected in urine screens; however, clinical records indicated that 6 had tested positive during the previous 6 months of MMT. No major withdrawal symptoms, side effects, or incidents of diversion were reported. Quality-of-life scores were in the normal range and satisfaction with the treatment regime was expressed by caregivers.

CONCLUSIONWhilst MMT is the predominant pharmacotherapy for opiate dependence for users of all ages elsewhere, our study group constitutes a unique population that differs markedly from younger opiate users who will eventually grow old. In Singapore, MMT appears to be an effective treatment for stable, elderly opium-dependent patients where families are fully engaged in the treatment regime.

Aged ; Caregivers ; psychology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Home Care Services ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; Methadone ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Opioid-Related Disorders ; nursing ; rehabilitation ; Quality of Life ; Singapore