Korean Journal of Health & Nursing (Korean J Health Nurs, KJHN)
Open Access, Peer Reviewed
pISSN 3058-4744
eISSN 3058-5643
Original Article

A Qualitative Study on the Counseling Experiences of Dementia Safety Center Workers with Early-Onset Dementia Patients and Their Families: Focus Group Interviews

1Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, Yong-In Art & Science University, Yongin, Republic of Korea
2Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, Yong-In Art & Science University, Yongin, Republic of Korea
3Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Dong-eui University, Busan, Republic of Korea

Correspondence to So Young Park, E-mail: sypark@yasu.ac.kr

Korean J Health Nurs 2025;2(2):151-162. https://doi.org/10.12972/kjhn.2025.2.2.9
Received on December 2, 2025, Revised on December 29, 2025, Accepted on December 29, 2025, Published onDecember 31, 2025.
© Author(s). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the experiences of Dementia Relief Center staff in counseling families of individuals with early-onset dementia and to identify key components necessary for developing a practical family counseling manual. Methods: Focus group interviews were conducted with 11 female staff members, and the transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis to derive conceptual categories and themes. Results: The analysis produced 43 concepts, which were grouped into 12 subcategories and three overarching themes. The three themes identified were the burden of patient and disease management, the need for resources and support, and limitations in the provision of counseling and services. Conclusion: A specialized counseling protocol for early-onset dementia should be developed to address patients’ complex needs, such as economic and legal issues, child-rearing, and illness acceptance. In addition, a multidisciplinary collaboration system should be established by partnering with vocational, legal, and social welfare professionals so staff can better support these needs.

Keywords

Counseling, Dementia, Family Support, Focus Group, Qualitative Research