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Background This study compared changes in physical function, cognitive function, and problematic behaviors among nursing home residents with dementia between the dementia specialized care and general units. Methods To assess the effects of a dementia specialized care unit (D-SCU), this study applied the difference-in-differences method. While the D-SCU was introduced in July 2016, the service was provided in January 2017. We defined the pre-intervention period as July 2015 to December 2016 and the post-intervention period as January 2017 to September 2018. We matched long-term care (LTC) insurance beneficiaries using the propensity score matching method to minimize selection bias. After this matching, two new groups were obtained, each with 284 beneficiaries. To characterize the actual effects of the D-SCU on physical function, cognitive function, and problematic behaviors among dementia beneficiaries, we conducted a multiple regression analysis that controlled for demographics, LTC need, and LTC benefit utilization. Results The physical function score significantly increased according to the time effect, and the interaction term between time and the use of D-SCU was significant. Therefore, the activities of daily living (ADL) score of the control group increased by 5.01 points more than that in the group of beneficiaries using the D-SCU (p

Objective The injury-related disease burden in South Korea is relatively high compared to that in other nations. This study was conducted to identify the scale and causes of injury by severity, using an injury pyramid and analyzing the sex and age-dependent differences and the basic demographic characteristics. Methods Unintentional injury was estimated for each group after classifying injury-related deaths, hospitalizations, and outpatient department (OPD) visits based on their severity. The injury pyramid was calculated by classifying the injury outcomes into deaths, hospitalizations, and outpatient visits. Results The incidence of unintentional injury included 31.74 deaths, 1,715.27 hospitalizations, and 7,317.55 OPD visits per 100,000 persons. The incidence of injury was higher among males than that among females. There were more hospitalizations and OPD visits than deaths among females. The mortality and hospitalization rates due to injury per 100,000 persons were the highest among those ≥75 years old, and the OPD visit rate was the highest among preschool children aged 0 to 6 years. The injury mechanisms that caused most deaths and hospitalizations in South Korea were injuries related to traffic, falls, poisoning, and burns/fires. Conclusion The scale of unintentional injury varies based on sex, age, and injury mechanism; additionally there are differences in the incidence of injuries between males and females depending on their age and injury mechanism. The high incidence of injury in elderly people could be a factor that increases the burden of injury in South Korea; hence, it is necessary to develop an injury prevention program that targets the elderly.

The performance of humanoid robots is improving, owing in part to their participation in robot games such as the DARPA Robotics Challenge. Along with the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, a Skiing Robot Competition was held in which humanoid robots participated autonomously in a giant slalom alpine skiing competition. The robots were required to transit through many red or blue gates on the ski slope to reach the finish line. The course was relatively short at 100 m long and had an intermediate-level rating. A 1.23 m tall humanoid ski robot, ‘DIANA’, was developed for this skiing competition. As a humanoid robot that mimics humans, the goal was to descend the slope as fast as possible, so the robot was developed to perform a carved turn motion. The carved turn was difficult to balance compared to other turn methods. Therefore, ZMP control, which could secure the posture stability of the biped robot, was applied. Since skiing takes place outdoors, it was necessary to ensure recognition of the flags in various weather conditions. This was ensured using deep learning-based vision recognition. Thus, the performance of the humanoid robot DIANA was established using the carved turn in an experiment on an actual ski slope. The ultimate vision for humanoid robots is for them to naturally blend into human society and provide necessary services to people. Previously, there was no way for a full-sized humanoid robot to move on a snowy mountain. In this study, a humanoid robot that transcends this limitation was realized.

Korea introduced long-term care insurance on July 1, 2008, to alleviate the burden on families caring for older adults amidst rapid aging and societal changes. Since then, the system has expanded significantly. However, there remains a shortfall in services adequately addressing the nursing, care, health, and medical needs of older adults at the end of life. Therefore, it is essential to reform the long-term care insurance system to enhance service coverage and improve the quality of care for older adults, thereby supporting dignified endof-life experiences. A phased approach is necessary to integrate end-of-life care into the existing long-term care insurance framework. Several strategies could be considered. First, end-of-life care could be included as a home-based benefit within the long-term care insurance system. Second, introducing an additional fee could be a practical method to incorporate these services into the premiums for long-term care insurance. This approach would make it feasible to extend these benefits to nursing homes. Third, recognizing the significance of end-of-life services and promoting quality improvement could be achieved by incorporating end-of-life needs assessments and related services into the regular evaluations of long-term care facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]