This study attempts to explore the subjective experience of frailty among elderly individuals in Korea.

From June to August in 2014, 11 elderly persons who had experienced frailty in a community were interviewed. For data analysis, the method suggested by Colaizzi was applied as a phenomenological method.

According to the analysis, the study participants’ frailty process was structured in seven categories: ⒜ ‘natural phenomenon with ageing,’ ⒝ ‘life force comes to an end,’ ⒞ ‘the light in my heart turns off,’ ⒟ ‘unavoidable situation,’ ⒠ ‘continuous and connected vicious cycle,’ ⒡ ‘the limit of recovery energy already passes,’ and ⒢ ‘life is supported by someone's help.’

The frailty experience in the participants is a natural process of aging, which cause vicious cycle acting with each other among physical, psychological, and social health. It is said that the cycle of frailty was started from weight loss and insufficient sleep, and boostered by pain. The participants from repetition of the vicious cycle become exhausted and pass the threshold of their recovery energy at some points. If they meet with sudden accidents such as falling, traffic accident and so on, they become to live a dependent life supported by someone's help in a moment. To prevent frailty and worsening conditions in Korean elderly individuals, it is recommended to provide a interventional programs using this study's results.

This study aimed to investigate factors affecting frailty by age groups among vulnerable elders in Korea.

In this secondary analysis, data were collected from records for 22,868 elders registered in the Visiting Health Management program of Public Health Centers in 2012. Health behaviors, clinically diagnosed disease, frailty, depression and cognitive condition were assessed. Data were analyzed using stepwise regression to determine the associated factors of frailty by age group.

Alcohol consumption, physical activity, number of diseases, DM, CVA, arthritis, urinary incontinence, depression and cognitive condition were found to be factors significantly associated with frailty among the elders aged 65~74 (F=135.66, p<.001). Alcohol consumption, physical activity, CVA, arthritis, urinary incontinence, depression and cognitive condition were found to be factors associated with frailty in the elders aged 75~84 (F=245.40, p<.001). Physical activity, CVA, arthritis, depression and cognitive condition were factors associated with frailty in the elders over 85 years of age (F=96.48, p<.001).

The findings show that frailty of elders and associated factors were different by age group, and common factors affecting frailty were physical activity, CVA, arthritis, depression and cognitive condition. Thus, these factors should be considered in the development of intervention program for care and prevention of frailty and program should be modified according to age group.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of a fall prevention program on falls, physical function, psychological function, and home environmental safety in frail elders living at home in rural communities.

The design of this study was a nonequivalent control group pre posttest design. The study was conducted from July to November, 2012 with 30 participants in the experimental group and 30 in the control group. Participants were registered at the public health center of E County. The prevention program on falls consisted of laughter therapy, exercise, foot care and education. The program was provided once a week for 8 weeks and each session lasted 80 minutes.

The risk score for falls and depression in the experimental group decreased significantly compared with scores for the control group. Compliance with prevention behavior related to falls, knowledge score on falls, safety scores of home environment, physical balance, muscle strength of lower extremities, and self-efficacy for fall prevention significantly increased in the experimental group compared with the control group.

These results suggest that the prevention program on falls is effective for the prevention of falls in frail elders living at home.

In this study a recreational combination gymnastics program was provided for women 75 years of age or older and the effects on physical fitness (grip strength, static balance, ability to do complex movement), depression, cognitive function and quality of life were examined.

A quasi-experimental study employing a nonequivalent control group, pre-post design was conducted. Participants included 53 women elders whose cognitive function was within the normal range. The women were assigned to an experimental group (27) or a control group (26). The intervention was conducted twice a week for a period of 12 weeks. Chi-square test, t-test, paired t-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for data analysis.

Following completion of the program, left grip strength (t=2.17, p=.035), right grip strength (t=2.04, p=.046), static balance (t=-2.18, p=.030), depression (z=-2.88, p=.004), cognitive function (t=3.96, p<.001), and quality of life (t=-3.19, p=.002) were significantly better in the experimental group.

Findings from this study indicate that recreational combination gymnastics programs are effective in enhancing physical fitness, cognitive function, and quality of life and in decreasing depression for female elders and could therefore be regarded as positive programs for promotion of physical and mental health for older women.

This study was done to evaluate the formal education program provided by the Korean government for care workers for frail elderly people.

This study was a cross-sectional survey in which 438 certified care workers who had completed the education program participated. Data were collected from June to October 2009, using a self-report questionnaire consisting of satisfaction with, and understanding of the education program.

The participants had a mean age of 46.7 yr, 87.9% were female and 58.2% were high school graduates. For the theory part of the education, the highest score for understanding was for 'supporting household & activities of daily living' while the lowest score for understanding was for 'care for death and dying'. For the practical education, the highest score for understanding was for 'talking with the client' and the lowest score was for 'first aid & basic life support'. There was a significant difference in satisfaction and understanding of the theoretical and practical parts according to educational level.

Continuing education programs are needed for care workers for elders, both in the theoretical and practical areas. Also the content of programs should address the weak points of this formal education program.