UAS : English For Psychology

Elma Malinda
2010811065
Semester 3 Genap

HAPPINESS FACTORS FOR THE ELDERLY WHO LIVES IN NURSING

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I. Introduction
Humans every day try to fulfiled the needs of a decent life, the more fulfilled these
needs the more prosperous and affect the increase in life expectancy. Life satisfaction, or
what is usually called happiness, appear from fulfilled needs or desires which are then
enjoyed. Similar to the elderly, the necessities of life that are realized will make life
prosperous. However, if these needs are not fulfiled, problems will appear in the lives of
elderly people which will reduce their life satisfaction. Not to mention when they get
older, the elderly feel neglected or considered unimportant by those closest to them. For
most of the elderly, it is a joy when in old age they can gather with friends and family and
share love.
In Indonesia, consider it a shame if their parents live in nursing home. Generally,
they think that no matter what condition their parents are in, the elderly should be cared
by their own families. However, this assumption is not the same with the reality that is
happening. Not infrequently found, there are families who place their parents (elderly) in
nursing home because of their inability to provide time and finance, or the elderly who
live in nursing home because they are completely alone, or the elderly who choose to live
in nursing home because they don’t want to bother the family. Some people think that the
elderly are better cared for in nursing home, because they will be more cared for and able
to get along with other elderly people than staying at home feeling lonely and abandoned
because their children are busy with their work.
The development of social perceptions that form a social image that nursing home
are a place of separation for the elderly from their families is one of the facts that exist in
Indonesia. From research results, not all the elderly feel happy living in nursing home.
Despite being surrounded by many other elderly people and without a shortage of food
and clothing, they still feel lonely and find it difficult to adapt. Therefore, in this
discussion the author collects factors that can increase happiness in the elderly. Because
of happiness, the elderly will be able to live the days without sadness, be able to increase
their desire to continue to do activities and accept the circumstances they face.

II. Discussion
A. Elderly
The elderly are at the age of approaching the end of the human life cycle in the
world. Barbara Newman & Philip Newman, 2006 divides the elderly into 2 periods,
namely late adulthood at the age of 60-75 years and a very old age at the age of 75
years until death (in Nurhidayah and Agustini, 2012). In old age there will be a
process of loss of the ability to repair themselves or replace and maintain normal
functions slowly so that they cannot endured infection and repair the damage that has
occurred (Constantinides, 1994 in Hakim and Hartati, 2014). According to Ericson,
old age is characterized by ego integrity or satisfaction. If the achievements of an
elderly person have reached the standard that was set by themself when he was young,
so that the distance between his true self and his ideal personal state is small, then
they will experience ego integrity and happiness, and feel satisfied with themselves

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 and their achievements. On the other hand, people who feel that they have failed with
the hopes that have been planted in their easy days, and are discouraged because they
realize that the opportunity to achieve goals are getting smaller from year to year, they
will feel disappointed and unhappy (Hurlock, 1980 in Impisari, 2017).

B. Happiness
By Hurlock 1980 (in Nurhidayah and Agustini, 2012) happiness is a state of
well-being and heart satisfaction, namely the pleasant satisfaction that appear when
certain individual needs and expectations are fullfiled. Seligman (2005, in Hidayah
2016) explains that happiness is a concept that refers to positive emotions felt by
individuals and positive activities that do not have a feeling component at all or are
liked by individuals. So, it is called happiness if the situation feels prosperous and
there is a sense of satisfaction in the heart, namely pleasant satisfaction appear when
certain individual needs and expectations are fullfiled. Sumner (2006, in Kirana and
Diantina, 2019) describes happiness as “having a kind of positive attitude towards
life, which is entirely a form of possession of cognitive and affective components.
The cognitive aspect of happiness consists of a positive evaluation of life, which is
measured either through standards or expectations, from the affective aspect
happiness consists of what we generally call a sense of well-being, finding the
richness of life or benefits or feelings satisfied or fulfilled by them”.

C. Happiness Factors In The Eldery

1. Spirituality
Spirituality within a person has its own power in that person's life. Belief in
the wisdom of life experiences or life that is being lived that is bitter or unpleasant
will make a person avoid depression which will make them feel unhappy as stated
by Elkins et al (1988, in Nurhidayah and Agustini, 2012). Spirituality is seen as
the individual's way of understanding the existence and experiences that occur to
him. In addition, family support will also help the elderly to release all forms of
emotions and times that will reduce stress in him. Alignment between behavior
and religious teachings will result in an assessment that you have become a good
human being and can create feelings of happiness if you can practice what is
taught by a religion. Religious belief or spirituality significantly predicts well-
being and reduces the negative impact of vulnerability on well-being. In old age,
spirituality and strong belief will give birth to a sincere feeling to carry out daily
activities without fear of feeling burdened. For example, at the Tulus Kasih
Nursing Home in Bandung, which holds regular spiritual activities, it makes the
elderly know religion better and can get closer to God. The elderly also become
more grateful for what they are currently experiencing and are sincere in living it.
In addition, the elderly also establish good communication with other elderly,
administrators, and nurses there. This gives the elderly the encouragement to be
healthy again as before because of the support they get.
For example, in Budhi Dharma nursing home Yogyakarta, there are routine
activities for the elderly who are Muslim. namely the activity of dhikr, which is
also a meditation as well as psychotherapy. activities in the form of relaxation
exercises accompanied by instrumental music as well as viewing video shows. As
a result of dhikr meditation, the elderly can feel calm, generate acceptance, erode
negative emotions and increase positive emotions can increase happiness through
the aspect of acceptance which includes acceptance of oneself and others

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 2. Social Support
Social support can be interpreted as support for comfort, attention,
appreciation, or assistance in other forms that individuals receive from other
people or from groups. Social support in the form of a sense of physical and
psychological comfort provided by friends or family to people who face sadness,
difficulties and even stress. With social support, people tend to be in a better state
of physical health and can cope with the stress they experience (Baron and Byrne,
2004 in Hidayati, 2016). Elderly people who feel needed by their family or closest
people will become elderly who have life satisfaction and happiness. If the elderly
feel neglected by their family, children and others, or if they develop a complex
feeling that no one loves them, then it is inevitable that they (elderly) will feel
unhappy.

3. Family Relation
What was stated by Haditono (1993, in Hakim and Hartati, 2014) said that
harmony between individuals and their environment, warm and peaceful feelings
in the family environment can provide happiness and peace in the hearts of elderly
members. comfort, warmth and good social acceptance of the elderly, it could be
that what appears is depression. One of the happiest events in the relationship
category is the birth of children and grandchildren. In this event of birth, there are
various reasons given by the elderly why it is happy. Among the reasons put
forward are happiness when they have offspring to continue the family line or
inherit the intelligence, work and family business. Not the least of the happiness
of having this offspring is related to the hope that someone will take care of them
when they enter their old age. But in reality, the elderly have to live separately
from their families. In several studies, not all elderly people receive visits from
their families, and it is not uncommon for family members to cut off contact with
them (elderly).

4. Favorit Activity
Happiness is the result of activities that individuals do as well as possible. It
is important for the elderly to find new activities or activities to replace activities
that were previously carried out as spare time fillers in their old age. As in the
activities at the Werdha Social Institution. Of the 3 elderly interviewed, they
answered that at the social institution they could do their favorite activities such as
discussing problems that were useful for sharpening the mind so as not to become
senile, playing the angklung musical instrument and singing which was useful for
practicing cooperation with other elderly people, practicing reading books., plant
flowers and sing.

III.Conclusion
From the information obtained, the elderly who live in social institutions have
several reasons. There are some families of the elderly who choose to include family
members because of their inability to take care of the elderly either due to time and or
cost, there are some elderly people who no longer have families and are neglected, or
because they do not want to bother their children so that the elderly choose to live in
social institutions that tend to be limited. With the existing reality and limitations, the
elderly who live in social institutions inevitably have to continue to live their lives.
Therefore, to avoid or reduce feelings of depression, it is recommended for the elderly to
carry out activities that they enjoy, carry out daily activities with enthusiasm, think

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 positively, interact with the environment and foster deep friendships, maintain close
relationships with fellow residents of social institutions, and being sincere about problems
will be very helpful in obtaining happiness.
As mentioned above, factors that increase happiness in the elderly include
spirituality, social support, family relationships and favorite activities. Even so, the author
hopes that nurses in social care institutions always pay attention to the condition of the
elderly and don't often leave the elderly alone, always accompany the elderly and invite
the elderly to communicate more often, so that the elderly can feel like they are with
family. In addition, the author also recommends nursing home to hold routine activities
that involve the families or friends of the elderly. So that the elderly do not feel
abandoned by their families, and families are expected to continue to regularly visit the
elderly and provide attention and support to families who are entrusted with nursing
home.

IV. References

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