Psychosocial Changes in Elderly Who Live Alone at Home in the Puskesmas Mulyorejo Area in Malang City Indonesia: A Phenomenological Study

Staying in the house apart from children often causes problems in loneliness and lack of support from the family. Changes in perceived elderly living alone in the house describes a condition unique life experience, is interesting to learn and understand more thoroughly through a research activity. The research objective was to determine changes in psychosocial elderly who live alone in the house. This study uses qualitative research with descriptive phenomenology approach. In this study, researchers sought to understand the meaning and significance of the events experienced by the elderly living at home. Number of participants 10 people, with the method of data collection is in-depth interviews. Analysis of the data used is in accordance with the Colaizzi method (1978). The results of the study produced five themes, the reason for staying at home, how to resolve the problem and hope to the future. The reason the elderly living alone has three sub-themes, namely loss of family members, conflicts with family and independent living. The feeling of staying at home has two sub-themes, namely the feeling of beginning to live alone and feeling currently live alone. The perceived problems have four sub-themes, including physical health, psychological, and problems with family. How to solve the problem of having two sub-themes, enlist the help of family and solve problems on their own. Expectations ahead of elderly living alone has two sub-themes, namely optimistic and pessimistic. Recommendations to the health service should be Able to develop health services by increasing the activities of elderly people in order to improve the health status of the elderly living at home alone.