Purpose
This study aimed to compare the health expenditure and unmet health care needs and factors associated with these, in single-person households pre- and post-baby boomer generation, and of baby boomers.
Methods
This cross-sectional study used secondary data from the 2016 Korea Health Panel Study, which was conducted to investigate the factors associated with health expenditures and unmet healthcare needs of single-person households through hierarchical multiple regression analysis.
Results
The subjective health status of a single household showed a significant interaction with pre-baby boomers (β=.16, p=.045) in health expenditure. Identifying as men (OR=1.59, p=.046) and subjective health status (OR=1.90, p=.001) were statistically significant in terms of unmet healthcare needs. However, there was no significant interaction between pre-baby boomers and unmet healthcare needs.
Conclusion
Baby boomers are the first to be prepared for their later years in the current aging society. Despite a stable financial status due to vital economic activities, social support for baby boomers is inadequate. The rights guaranteed to family members under the system centered around kinship should also be guaranteed to single-person households.

Citations

• The impact of physical functionality and activity level on the self-rated health status of older adults living alone: An analysis of the mediating effect of social engagement
  Dajung Ryu
  Geriatric Nursing.2025; 63: 464.     CrossRef

Purpose
This study aimed to examine the relationship between nursing care needs and nurse staffing in pulmonology units.
Methods
This was a descriptive study that used a retrospective design. In total, 2,622 patient medical records from a tertiary hospital were analyzed. Variables were collected from Clinical Data Warehouse and Electronic Medical Records.
Results
The study found a difference in nursing care needs and nurse staffing by shift among units. In unit A (general unit), nurses were assigned according to nursing care needs and the proportion of severe patients. However, in unit B (general unit), higher nursing needs could lead to an increase in the number of patients per nurse on night duty (r=.23, p<.001). In unit C (comprehensive nursing care service unit), the number of patients per nurse during the day increased as nursing needs increased. The higher the proportion of “greater than two points in nursing activities”, the higher the number of patients per nurse during the day (r=.13, p=.010) and evening (r=.12, p=.018). However, the higher the proportion of “greater than three points in activities of daily living”, the lower the number of patients per nurse during the night shift (r=-.28, p<.001).
Conclusion
Patients’ nursing care needs should be considered in the management of nurse staffing. We should develop a nurse staffing program that considers variation in daily nursing care needs to establish efficient staffing guidelines.

PURPOSE
Focus group interviews were conducted to explore the current status and barriers of health care services in nursing home from the viewpoint of staffs taking care of nursing home residents.
METHODS
A qualitative thematic analysis using the focus group interview method was used. A total of 32 health care professionals (19 nurses and 13 social workers) from thirteen nursing homes in South Korea attended (5 focus groups) in 2014.
RESULTS
The two main themes were identified: 'minimal health care services that left personal care needs unmet' which has three subthemes of 'stereotyped and fragmented care by types of care providers', 'medically-oriented health care services' and 'health care services mixed with social or recreational programs'; and 'barriers to proper and timely care in nursing homes' with four subthemes including 'unmet care needs due to cognitive dysfunction or lack of expression', 'care guides or tools not suitable for long-term care facilities', 'health care needs that are beyond the facility's care boundary', and 'care delay due to lack of understanding on the older adult's status'.
CONCLUSION
The findings from this study should help health care policy makers to recognize the factors that influence health care services and provide direction for nurses and other staffs involved in supporting health care services for nursing home residents.

Citations

• Factors Affecting Mealtime Difficulties in Older Adults with Dementia Living in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Multilevel Model Analysis
  Dukyoo Jung, Jennie C. De Gagne, Hyesoon Lee, Leeho Yoo, Jisung Park, Eunju Choi, Yonggang Zhang
  Journal of Nursing Management.2023; 2023: 1.     CrossRef
• Comparison of Food Service Provision by Food Service Operational Types for Residential Facilities
  Jin Hee Kwon, Rah Il Hwang, Hyeon Jin Jeong, Hye Min Jang
  Journal of Health Informatics and Statistics.2022; 47(4): 258.     CrossRef
• Effectiveness of a Technology-Enhanced Integrated Care Model for Frail Older People: A Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial in Nursing Homes
  Hongsoo Kim, Young-il Jung, Gi-Soo Kim, Hyoungshim Choi, Yeon-Hwan Park, Suzanne Meeks
  The Gerontologist.2021; 61(3): 460.     CrossRef
• Nurses' Views on Infection Control in Long-Term Care Facilities in South Korea: A Focus Group Study
  Chi-Young Lee, Min-Hye Lee, Seong-Hyeon Lee, Yeon-Hwan Park
  Korean Journal of Adult Nursing.2018; 30(6): 634.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to describe public health services for the aged in public health centers from the perspective of public health nurses. METHODS: The interview data were collected from 11 public health nurses and analyzed by using Colazzi's (1978) descriptive phenomenology. The procedural steps was that described the phenomenon of interest, collected participants' descriptions of the phenomenon, extracted the meaning of significant statement, organized the meanings into theme clusters, wrote exhaustive descriptions and then incorporated data into an exhaustive description. RESULTS: The results included 291 re-statements, 49 constructed meanings, 27 themes, 12 theme clusters, and 5 categories were deduced. The five categories were 'perception of obstacles for elderly health system', 'sense of burden in services of health', 'planning about diverse elderly health services', 'elderly clients-focused performance', and 'solidify community ground of elderly health services'. Despite obstacles, participants tried to diverse health services for elderly. CONCLUSION: This study has described public health nurses' experiences about public health services for the aged. These findings have important implication for the practice of public health services for the aged and must be considered to develop program for planning and practice of public health nurses for the aged.