PURPOSE
The objective of this study was to identify the relationships between family function and successful aging of vulnerable elderly using the circumplex model.
METHODS
The participants were the elderly (N=401) who were over 65 years old living in H city under the National Livelihood Security Act. Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III and Successful Aging Instrument were used.
RESULTS
The family function perceived by the study subjects was average 43.20 +/- 16.62 out of maximum 100 points. According to the analysis on family types suggested by circumplex model, there were 183 people for balance family (45.6%) and 218 people (54.4%) for extreme family. The total points on successful aging were 1.67 +/- 0.37 out of 3 points. When the difference in points on the Successful Aging instrument were analyzed according to the scores on the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale those points of the balanced family were statistically significant (t=2.087, p=.038).
CONCLUSION
In case of the balanced family type, the level of perceiving successful aging was relatively higher. For the improvement of family function, it is advised that the successful aging perception among vulnerable elderly can be uplifted through a program that enables effective communication with other family members.

The main purpose of this study was to characterize and classify families of KT recipients and to identify family adaptability and cohesion, as family function, by the Circumplex model. A Cross-sectional survey approach was employed for this research project. The data was collected by the questionnaire method in 3 general hospitals in Seoul and Kyonggi-do, Korea. The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales III was used. By Convenient sampling, a total of 190 subjects (Male 117, Female 73) with an average age of 39.7 years (range: 18-62 yrs.) participated. The mean age at transplantation was 36.8 yrs. (SD: 9.4 yrs.). On an average, the patients had received transplants 39.9 months previously. The data was analyzed by percentage of frequency, t-test, and one-way ANOVA by the SPSS program. The results were as follows: 1. The mean family adaptability score was 30.26(SD: 6.6, range: 12-49) and the mean family cohesion score was 34.96(SD: 6.5, range: 15-48). 2. All of 16 distinct types of family system were identified. Among them, 'Flexibly connected types' (32 families, 16.8%) were the most common and 'chaotically disengaged types' (2 families, 1.1%) were the least common. 3. Dividing the 16 unit typology into 3 basic groups of types, 'Balanced types' composed 88 families (46.3%), 'Mid-range types' composed 76 families (40.0%), and 'extreme types' composed 26 families (13.7%). 4. The family adaptation differed according to age, education level, marital status, the diagnostic age of CRF, and level of recipient's perception of the family's importance. The family cohesion differed according to age, employment status, number of kid, and level of recipient's perception of the family's importance. In conclusion, by providing nursing intervention designed to increase family adaptability and cohesion, considering the socio-demographic factors of recipient and family, nurses may improve the recipient's family function and health, and also the recipient's health and quality of life.