A Study on the Effectiveness of a Cognitive Activity Program for Community Living Elderly Persons Using Home-Visit Care Center

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a cognitive activity program for elderly individuals receiving home care through a home-visiting care center. To investigate this research problem, 20 elderly participants aged 65 and older, who were recommended for cognitive activities by the National Health Insurance, were divided into a program participation group and a non-participation group. A pre- and post-experimental design test, utilizing the Cognitive Impairment Screening Test (CIST), was conducted with the non-identical control group. The results indicated that the participating group exhibited increased scores in the sub-areas of attention, executive function, memory, and language function, as well as an overall improvement in the total CIST score. In contrast, the non-participating group showed no significant changes in most areas. These findings suggest that the cognitive activity program effectively supports the maintenance and enhancement of cognitive function among elderly individuals utilizing visiting care services. The study highlights social welfare implications that can foster recognition and participation in the program by demonstrating its necessity and effectiveness within the context of visiting care services.