Abstract :
Background: Elderly is the final stage of human life. At an advanced age the individual will
experience physical, cognitive and psychological changes and a decrease in bodily functions,
resulting in anxiety in all respects, if anxiety is not resolved it will result in depression in the
elderly so that they need maximum social support.
Objective: To analyze the relationship between the characteristics of the elderly and social
support with anxiety about dying in the elderly.
Method: This research method uses a quantitative correlation design with a cross sectional
approach, with a population of 60 elderly and a sample of 34 respondents with a total sampling
technique, the data collection tool was made by the researcher. Analysis using the Kenda'sl tau
- b test and Chi Square.
Results: The results showed that 26 respondents (76.5%) were elderly, many were female, 18
respondents (52.9%), 27 respondents (79.0%) had divorced marital status, 18 had primary
school education. (52.9%) and the majority lived in the orphanage 1-3 years for 17 respondents
(50.0%), low social support for 21 respondents (61.8%) and the level of anxiety about death
was obtained for 14 respondents (41.2%) ) experienced mild anxiety.
Conclusion: There is no relationship between age and anxiety (p = 0.073), gender and anxiety
(p = 0.570), education and anxiety (p = 0.069). Meanwhile, there was a relationship between
marital status and anxiety (p = 0.010), length of stay in nursing homes (p = 0.007) and social
support (p = 0.005).
Suggestion: It is hoped that the orphanage can provide social support in the form of sympathy
and empathy for the elderly.
Keywords : Anxiety, Elderly, End-Of-Life, Social Support