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Purpose: This study analyzed research trends in infant and toddler rearing behavior among family caregivers over a 10-year period (2010-2021). Methods: Text network analysis and topic modeling were employed on data collected from relevant papers, following the extraction and refinement of semantic morphemes. A semantic-centered network was constructed by extracting words from 2,613 English-language abstracts. Data analysis was performed using NetMiner 4.5.0. Results: Frequency analysis, degree centrality, and eigenvector centrality all revealed the terms ''scale," ''program," and ''education" among the top 10 keywords associated with infant and toddler rearing behaviors among family caregivers. The keywords extracted from the analysis were divided into two clusters through cohesion analysis. Additionally, they were classified into two topic groups using topic modeling: "program and evaluation" (64.37%) and "caregivers' role and competency in child development" (35.63%). Conclusion: The roles and competencies of family caregivers are essential for the development of infants and toddlers. Intervention programs and evaluations are necessary to improve rearing behaviors. Future research should determine the role of nurses in supporting family caregivers. Additionally, it should facilitate the development of nursing strategies and intervention programs to promote positive rearing practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose According to a long-term care survey (Statistics Office., 2019), 78.7% of the recipients are unable to walk independently. In a study of falls in inpatients, falls in hospital rooms and toilets were the most prevalent and were reported to occur more frequently at night (Yoon et al., 2018). Diapers and excretion-assist care robots can be used to prevent falls caused by toilet movement. The excretion assist care robot can automatically treat excrement by using it instead of diapers at the bedside for the elderly or the people with disabled. Automatic excretion bidet functions include detection, inhalation, cleaning, and drying of excrement. The excretion assist care robot is in the early stages of development and use, and it is necessary to evaluate its usability, considering the characteristics of the product from the point of view of users and experts. In this study, we evaluate the usability of the excretion assist care robot, derive improvements, and use it in the development of care robots. Method The excretory assist care robot used was the Curacare M1 product developed by Curaco. Evaluation indicators were developed to systematically evaluate usability. Indicator areas and items were derived through literature review and product analysis. To ensure the validity of the derived indicators, seven experts who could evaluate the product characteristics were selected, and a Delphi survey was conducted. The index consists of a total of six areas(Table 1) and 49 items, including 'operability area' (13 items), 'safety area' (ten items), 'effectiveness area' (five items), 'efficiency area' (four items), 'ability to acquire area' (two items) and 'satisfaction area' (15 items). A caregiver group and an expert observation group were recruited for the user-based evaluation, and an expert performance group was recruited for the inspection-based evaluation. 15 participants (five participants per group) who met the selection and exclusion criteria participated in the usability evaluation. The evaluation was conducted in the following order: pre-interview (semi-structured format); device use training (video and demonstration); practice, device use and evaluation (7-point scale evaluation paper); and post-interview (semi-structured format). Results and Discussion As a result of the usability assessment questionnaire, out of the six assessment areas (excluding the satisfaction area, which is a subjective assessment unknown to the expert observation group), the caregiver group rated the 'operability area' (60.2 ± 13.6), the expert observation group rated the 'ability to acquire area' (47.1 ± 14.8), and the expert performance group rated the 'safety area' (76.8 ± 7.0) as the lowest scores, respectively(Table 2). All 15 subjects responded that they required an excretion assist care robot. Reflecting the opinions of users and experts in this study, when developing the excretion assistance care robot, it is necessary to consider the ease of learning so that elderly caregivers who are not accustomed to using computers can easily learn. In addition, it is necessary to design it to reduce the physical burden, and devise a method for tailoring it to each individual. It is necessary to continuously promote safety and user friendliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Republic of Korea has established an institutional framework to expedite the provision of rehabilitation sports public services to individuals with disabilities post-hospital discharge (Act on Guarantee of Right to Health and Access to Health Services for People with Disabilities in December 2017). Regrettably, this service remains non-operational to date. This study employs a service design approach to identify and develop essential elements for the effective implementation of public rehabilitation sports services in Korea. Adopting the service design method, including the empathize–define–ideate–prototype phases, co-creation activities were conducted with three teams comprising people with disabilities, caregivers, rehabilitation physicians, specialized sports instructors, facility managers, and government officials, emphasizing equitable distribution. By leveraging the experiences of people with disabilities, these teams collaboratively engaged in creative activities to formulate strategies for delivering prompt and user-friendly rehabilitation sports public services post-hospital discharge. Contributions from each team were meticulously collected and organized, incorporating diverse perspectives into the development of the Korean Rehabilitation Sports Public Service Information System (KRSPSIS). Additionally, we presented a scenario illustrating the practical application of the KRSPSIS. Through this system, we anticipate providing more efficient and convenient rehabilitation sports public services to individuals with disabilities during the critical early stages following hospital discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of general characteristics, fatigue, depression, self-efficacy, job stress and interpersonal relationships on the quality of life (QoL) of caregivers in nursing hospitals and use them as basic data for intervention programs to improve the quality of life of caregivers. Methods: The participants in the study were 137 caregivers, aged 52–76, who were actively working in nursing hospitals. Data were collected from caregivers by visiting 9 hospitals in 6 cities, with a questionnaire of fatigue, depression, self-efficacy, job stress, interpersonal relationship, quality of life. Results: Age, marriage, marital satisfaction, education, education experience of QoL, monthly income, perceived economic status, hobby or leisure activity, and number of disease showed differences in the degree of QoL at a statistically significant level. In stage 1, economic status (β = −0.18, p = 0.033) and hobby or leisure activity (β = 0.19, p = 0.025) were influencing factors (F = 4.58, p < 0.001). In stage 2, monthly income (β = −0.19, p = 0.034) and perceived economic status (β = −0.18, p = 0.035) were influencing factors. In stage 3, age (β = −2.80, p = 0.006), perceived economic status (β = −2.41, p = 0.017), self-efficacy (β = 3.19, p = 0.002) and interpersonal relationship (β = 7.12, p < 0.001) were influencing factors which showed 61.5% explanatory power (F = 12.88, p < 0.001). Since the subject's fatigue, depression, and stress did not affect the quality of life, further research is needed. Conclusions: In order to improve the quality of life of caregivers, it would be necessary to develop interventions for raising their self-efficacy and interpersonal relationship by considering their degree of economic status, hobby or leisure activity, monthly income, and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Recently, there has been an increased availability of information and communication technologies to support healthy aging and caregivers' activities. While there is no substitute for the human touch, new technologies can help to support paid (e.g., health care aides in continuing care) and family caregivers or friends and neighbors. Technologies can also improve the quality of care, especially for residents of continuing care centers who might have complex health and social needs (Lindeman et al., 2020). Thus, technologies can facilitate caregiver responsibilities by enhancing communications and supporting person-centered care. Mobile technologies can offer some advantages for caregivers (Perez et al., 2022) and people living with chronic conditions such as dementia (Neubauer et al., 2021), as well as enhance quality of care. An understanding of the factors that influence the acceptance and usability of technologies is necessary to implement new tools in caregiving roles (Liu et al., 2015). Methods In collaboration with continuing care centers and industry, we developed and evaluated the SmartCare System, a multifeatured mobile application system intended to support paid caregivers' workflows and provide information and updates to encourage the engagement of family caregivers. We followed a sequential explanatory mixed-method approach to evaluate the usability of these technologies. Paid (n=60) and family (n=27) caregivers participated in this evaluation by trialing the SmartCare System for one month. Our study included pre- and post- paper-based questionnaires with no control group. In addition, we conducted four focus groups with a subsample of paid and family caregivers. We evaluated the acceptance and usability of the SmartCare System using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Model (Venkatesh et al., 2003). With the quantitative data, we employed univariate, bivariate, and partial least squares analyses. With the qualitative data, we used content analysis. Results and Discussion The acceptance of the SmartCare System was high for both groups of caregivers. The SmartCare System was functional, portable, and simple due to its design and easy-to-follow layout interface. For paid caregivers, usefulness, was the only predictor of intention to use, and intention to use the technology predicted usage behavior. For family caregivers, ease of use and potential improvement in their ability to perform caregiver activities using the technology were related to the behavioral intention, while the existing organizational and technical infrastructure was related to user behavior. In addition, family caregivers reported that the SmartCare System was easy to use. Regular updates sent to family were described as a significant advantage of this technology. Family caregivers suggested that family interactions and involvement in care activities could increase by using the SmartCare System and the ease of use of this technology could incentivize technology adoption. Both participant groups suggested including more information and features, such as compatibility with multiple devices and visual indicators. In general, the participants recognized the benefits of this technology to enhance communications and interactions. In conclusion, this study confirms the value of mobile technologies to support the workflow of paid caregivers and social connections with family members of residents in continuing care centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since the quality of work life of healthcare workers is affected by various factors, an improvement in their work environment can reduce the burden on them, increasing their performance. This study aimed to identify the current problems in working environments for registered nurses (RNs), nurse aides (NAs), and caregivers using the 5th Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS), presenting measures to improve working conditions by analyzing their predictors: 1) degree of exposure to work-related risk factors (musculoskeletal and mental), 2) working patterns, 3) work-family balance, 4) work situations, and 5) self-rated health. Methods: The sampling frame was a list of apartment and general survey zones, excluding islands, dormitories, special social facilities, tourist hotels, and foreigner zones, among the total survey zones of the 2010 Population and Housing Census. The KWCS was given to 50,205 participants of various occupations, and responses from 494 RNs, 201 NAs, and 505 caregivers were extracted to compare their 1) degree of exposure to work-related risk factors (musculoskeletal and mental), 2) working pattern, 3) work-family balance, 4) work situations, and 5) self-rated health. Results: The response rate was 0.449. There were significant differences in all the variables (exposure to musculoskeletal and mental work-related risk factors, working pattern, work-family balance, work situations, self-rated health, and satisfaction with working conditions) among RNs, NAs, and caregivers (p < 0.001). The degree of work-related musculoskeletal and mental risk exposure was higher among caregivers and RNs than among NAs; irregular working patterns, challenges with work-family balance, and work environment satisfaction were higher among caregivers than among NAs. In addition, work situations were poorer among caregivers and NAs than among RNs. Self-rated health was the highest among caregivers, followed by RNs and NAs. The most potent predictor of self-rated health was occupation, followed by work environment satisfaction and work-family balance; the most potent predictor of work environment satisfaction was self-rated health, followed by degree of exposure to work-related musculoskeletal and mental risk factors, occupation, work-family balance, work situation, and working patterns. Conclusion: This study confirmed that a variety of factors influence work environment satisfaction. Thus, practical and realistic measures to improve work environments tailored to each healthcare occupation should be developed at the national and community levels. Further qualitative studies are needed to analyze the work environments of nurses and other care workers in depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parkinson's disease reduces patients' function, activities of daily living, and quality of life, and increases their guardians' burden of care. This study verified the effectiveness of a multimodal rehabilitation programme for patients with Parkinson's disease. Trial design: This study was a multicentre parallel randomised controlled, single-blind, trial conducted in three hospitals in Korea. Methods: A central randomisation centre used computer generated tables to randomly allocate 60 of 75 patients with Parkinson's disease who fulfilled the study requirements into experimental (n = 30; multimodal rehabilitation; consisting of daily living training, guardian education, home environment modification, fine muscle exercise, balance training, and training using auxiliary tools performed 50 min per session, twice a week, in 10 sessions) and control (n = 30; traditional rehabilitation; consisting of task-oriented training, joint exercise, and daily living training performed 50 min per session, twice a week, in 10 sessions) groups. Results: Multimodal rehabilitation for Parkinson's disease significantly improved the activities of daily living (p < 0.01) and quality of life of patients (p < 0.001) and eased the guardians' burden of care (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Multimodal rehabilitation is suggested to improve activities of daily living, quality of life of patients with Parkinson's disease, and reduce the burden of care of their guardians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to discuss the need for translation studies in dementia care and current translational endeavors, and to provide recommendations for evolving evidence-based dementia care. Methods: A literature review yielded current evidence and translational efforts. Results: Dementia care interventions need to be implemented at various service levels. Barriers to translation include evidence gaps, lack of the use of a conceptual framework to explain the implementation process, and unsupportive funding mechanisms for applying innovations. Conclusion: There is clear evidence of the need for and benefits of evidence-based dementia care for patients with dementia, family caregivers, and care professionals. The urgent need now is finding ways to advance translational activities and facilitate future research into translation science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caregiving for childhood cancer survivors may be burdensome for caregivers and affect their physical health and health behaviors. However, studies examining health behaviors in caregivers of childhood cancer survivors are scarce. This study aimed to examine health behaviors of caregivers of childhood cancer survivors by comparing them with those of the general population, and analyze associated factors.Methods: This study included 326 caregivers of childhood cancer survivors recruited from 3 major hospitals in South Korea and 1304 controls from the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey matched for age, sex, and education level. We compared health behaviors between the two groups by using conditional logistic regression analyses, and investigated factors associated with unhealthy behaviors in caregivers by using multiple logistic regression analyses.Results: Caregivers were less likely to be physically inactive (aOR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.51, 0.92) compared to controls, and this was more evident in women (aOR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.45, 0.94). However, caregivers were more likely to be binge drinkers (aOR: 2.26, 95% CI: 1.73, 2.97), especially if they were men (aOR: 13.59, 95% CI: 8.09, 22.82). Factors associated with unhealthy behaviors in caregivers differed by the type of behavior. Current smoking risk was lower in female caregivers and in those with more comorbidities. Increasing age, female sex, higher education level, and lower household income were associated with lower risk of binge drinking. Higher household income and anxiety were associated with lower risk of physical inactivity, while depression was associated with higher risk of physical inactivity.Conclusions: Caregivers of childhood cancer survivors were more likely to engage in binge drinking, but less likely to be physically inactive. Strategies to promote adherence to desirable health behaviors in caregivers are needed with consideration of their socioeconomic and clinical factors, such as number of comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the educational needs of parents of infants and toddlers with congenital heart disease (CHD) after hospital discharge. Methods: Qualitative content analysis was conducted of in-depth interviews of eight parents, and the results of an online survey of 171 parents were analyzed quantitatively. Results: Only 16.4% of parents reported that they had received education after hospital discharge on how to provide care for a child with CHD at home. The main reason why parents did not receive education on this topic was that they did not have sufficient opportunities or information (75.5%). In addition, 97.1% of parents stated that they needed educational programs that would be available at home after discharge. In terms of specific educational content, parents expressed the highest needs for education on the symptoms of CHD and ways to cope with them, the prognosis of CHD, and the growth and development of infants and toddlers with CHD. Conclusion: The study showed that parents' educational needs were high in many ways. However, the information and educational opportunities offered after discharge were insufficient compared to those needs. Further research is needed to develop post-hospital educational programs that meet their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Korea, the Hospice, Palliative Care, and Life-sustaining Treatment Decision-making Act was enacted in February 2016 in order to ensure that the patient's self-determination in end-of-life care processes is respected. To enhance physicians' understanding of this act and to provide proper criteria for medical judgment in variety of clinical settings, consensus guidelines were published in November 2016. In this article, the characteristics of these guidelines and related issues regarding the definitions of 'the end stage of disease' and 'last days of life' and the criteria for medical judgment are presented and summarized. According to the guidelines, the term 'end stage of disease' refers to a state in which there is no possibility of a fundamental recovery and the symptoms are expected to worsen within months. The terms 'the last days of life' and 'the final days of life' refer to a state in which, despite treatment, the patient's condition is worsening and death is impending, with no possibility of recovery. The attending physician and another relevant specialist should both judge a patient's medical condition as either 'end stage of disease' for hospice/palliative care or 'the last days of life' for dying patient care according to the law. Caregivers should provide appropriate medical information to eligible patients for palliative or 'end stage of disease' care through advance care planning. Therefore, it is critically necessary that caregivers understand the legitimate process of hospice/palliative and dying patient care based on the patient's wishes and best interests. Physicians should apply these consensus guidelines to eligible patients considering their clinical course and the patients' wishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Deteriorating communication ability of people with dementia is reported as a major cause of care burden. Caregivers' avoidance or inappropriate communication with dementia people reinforce agitation, anxiety and social isolation of dementia people and worsen their psychological and behavioral symptoms (Paquay et al., 2007; Williams et al., 2009). Notwithstanding the importance of sympathetic and effective communication based on Person-centered care, a desirable communication model has not been established (Levy-Storms, 2008). Thus, it is demanded to collect and examine the communication between dementia people and their caregivers in the natural setting and be feedbacked to caregivers to enhance their communication attitude and skill. Purpose 1. Seek for the possibility of using IOT technology in the study of communication between dementia people and caregivers. 2. Evaluate the vocal communication by caregivers within the Person-Centered Care framework. Methodology 1. An Arduino-based device was made to record and transmit the dialogue into the server. For human voice-sensor recording and real-time transmission was programmed with ftp type. 2. The small size of the devices were hung around the necks of two dementia people living in the nursing home with permission of their families. The informed consent of caregivers working in the nursing home were also acquired. Recording was done through 2~3 hours a day in the morning in the living room. The recording was prohibited in the private places of dementia people. The audio was transcribed into text scripts with help of Naver voice recognition program and manual transcription in part. Then, the text was quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed within the 5 principles of PCC theoretical frameworks: warmth, inclusion, attachment, identity, and occupation. Results 1. The device was manufactured for the purpose of data collection and transmission. 2, Data shows there was a great shortage of communication between two parties as caregivers in the nursing home rarely talked to dementia people. In the cases of talking to them, the theme was task-oriented and concerned only physical caring, feeding, bathing and diaper change. 3. By qualitative analysis under the Person-Centered Care framework, caregivers showed warmth, attachment, and recognition. However, some caregivers withheld the demand of dementia people, making fun of them and treating them with a patronizing attitude. There were other Personhood-depreciating communication patterns; intimidation, invalidation, and objectification. Discussion 1. Technological approaches are sometimes useful in the studies of understanding and analyzing the demands and needs of dementia people. Arduino-based network voice recorders are cheap and easy to manufacture, which can be widely used for training caregivers. This study shows the possibility of cheap and easy technology to relieve the burden of caring and increase the quality of lives of dementia people. 2. This study reveals non-PCC communication in the nursing home which desperately needs improvement. Caregiver's attitude and skills on communication with dementia people should be educated and coached based on Person-Centered care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Technologies to age in place must be personalized to meet the changing reality of aging and to respond to individual needs. A variety of technology applications can be used to help those with chronic conditions to remain at home, provide support to family caregivers at work or at a distant location, check on the status or activities of their loved ones, and enhance access to information and community resources including formal and informal support services (Czaja, 2016). ADel (Assistante Domestique électronique) is an Electronic Domestic Assistant developed in Quebec (Canada) by SoftBiomed to help older adults build personalized virtual networks of care including their family caregivers and healthcare professionals. ADel is an application provided in an electronic tablet with a locked mode (kiosk mode) to family caregivers and clinicians (Figure 1) and a cellphone application to be downloaded by family caregivers (Figure 2). With ADel, it is possible to customize contacts to make video calls, personalize medication and appointment reminders, and services (e.g., meal delivery and community services). With a panic button and a fall detector integrated into a watch, it provides peace of mind to older adults and their family caregivers. The objective of this pilot study is to explore the feasibility, usability, and user satisfaction of ADel from the perspectives of older adults returning home after a hospitalization, family caregivers, and clinicians being part of a personalized network of care. Methods Participants include 10 older adults without neurocognitive impairment returning home after a hospitalization, 10 family caregivers, and two clinicians. Data on feasibility (semi-structured interview), usability (System Usability Scale), and users' satisfaction (Visual Analog Scale) are collected at one and two months of use of the technology at home. A steering committee with different stakeholders informs the project from the beginning to anticipate any technical, human, cultural, logistical barriers, and facilitators. Results and Discussion The pilot study will allow sharing of expertise between different stakeholders to inform the improvement of this technology across the continuum of care. ADel has the potential to be implemented in individuals with minor and major neurocognitive disorders, older adults living with chronic health conditions, and palliative care. The results will help to improve and adapt this technology according to the older adult's cognitive and physical health status, provide a technological solution to support home care, and prevent social isolation during the current pandemic (Daly et al., 2021). As the degree of usefulness of these technologies impacts positively elderly people's intention to accept their usage (Etemad-Sajadi & Gomes Dos Santos, 2019), this pilot study will certainly provide insights into ADel's positive impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this study was to find out the effects of transfer assistive robots on care burden, burnout, and self-esteem in caregivers caring for the mobility-impaired older adults and severely disabled people. Method A single-group pre-test post-test study design was used in this study. The participants were 30 caregivers caring for the institutionalized or community-dwelling care recipients. The caregivers used transfer assistive robots to move mobility-impaired older adults and severely disabled people from bed to chair or from chair to bed for a week. The care burden, burn out, and self-esteem were measured using a self-reported questionnaire. The care burden scale developed by zairt(1980), the burnout scale developed by Maslach and Jackson(1981), and the self esteem scale developed by Rosenberg(1965) were used. The data was collected between July 2021 to January 2022. The data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS statistics version 25.0 for window program and difference in outcome variables between pre and post was confirmed using the paired t-test. Results and Discussion Participants ranged in age from 38 to 76 years, with a mean of 57.6 (SD=7.07). There were 28 female respondents (93.3%) and 2 male respondents (6.7%). Of those who participated, 13 (43.3%) were Korean geriatric care helpers, 8 (26.7%) were uncertified assistive personnel, 3 (10.0%) were family caregivers, 1 (3.3%) was the disabled activity supporter, and etc. There was statistically significant reduction in the care burden after the intervention (t=4.62, p<.001). However, there was no significant difference in the burnout and self-esteem. The study suggests that transfer assistive robots were effective in decreasing the care burden in caregivers caring for the mobility-impaired older adults and severely disabled people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. A falling fertility rate, increasing longevity, government 'social investment' strategies to achieve the transformation from industrial to post-industrial economy, and increased state support to help women balance family and work responsibilities - all these influences have produced mixed results for the poorly paid female care workers in low-status jobs in the Republic of Korea. The author summarizes policy changes and reports on interviews with childcare and elder-care workers, policy experts and researchers, showing that though increased regulation and expansion of public childcare have led to some improvements, the deregulation and marketization of elder-care have resulted in worsening conditions for elder-care workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]