The impact of pandemic COVID-19 on elderly social activities

Widayatun¹, Deny Hidayati ¹, Augustina Situmorang¹

¹ Research Center for Population, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia

The COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia that occurred from 2020 to 2022 had an impact on changing the lives of the elderly. The health protocol policy implemented by the government has limited all activities outside the home. Various daily activities and social activities for the elderly that previously could be carried out freely have now been limited and adapted to the demands of preventing the COVID-19 pandemic. Elderly social activities include being active in community organizations, religious activities, sports, culture, recreation and other volunteer activities. This study discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social activities of the elderly. This research relies on primary data collection using qualitative method through in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with representatives of the elderly in the City of Bekasi, West Java, Tabanan Regency, Bali and Malang Regency, East Java. The city of Bekasi represents the characteristics of the people who live in an area close to the center of government which consists of various ethnics and cultures in Indonesia. Tabanan Regency represents a society with homogeneous socio-cultural characteristics, while Malang Regency represents heterogeneous socio-cultural conditions of society. Participants in the in-depth interviews and FGDs were seniors aged 60 years and over who were recruited using the snowballing technique Data are also collected through a desk review of relevant books, articles, and documents. The stages of data analysis began with sorting data, identifying the thematic framework, indexing data, mapping data, and interpreting data. This study produced 3 finding,   firstly, social restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have caused differences in perceptions between the elderly and their families, resulting in reduced interaction between family members. Second, social restrictions have an impact on the unmet needs of social activities of the elderly causing emotional instability. Third, the implications of the unmet needs of social activities for the elderly during the pandemic resulted in family conflicts and excessive worry about COVID - 19. The study findings show the need for intervention programs that involve families to help the elderly meet their needs for social activities during a pandemic.

Keywords: Elderly, social activities, COVID-19 Pandemic