Pengaruh Komunikasi Empatik dan Dukungan Sosial terhadap Kesejahteraan Psikologis Lansia dalam Layanan Homecare

Abstract

Indonesia has entered an aging population phase, with the number of older adults reaching 32.57 million in 2024. This condition increases the demand for home-based care services (homecare). However, current homecare practices are still dominated by a medical-technical approach and tend to overlook the communication dimension as a space for meaning-making and relationship building. This study aims to examine the influence of empathetic communication and social support on the psychological well-being of older adults within the context of homecare services. This research employs an explanatory quantitative approach, with data collected through Likert-scale questionnaires administered to 30 elderly respondents in the Yogyakarta area. The limited sample size constitutes one of the study’s limitations; therefore, the findings should be interpreted with caution. Multiple linear regression was used as the analytical technique to test the relationships among variables. The results indicate that empathetic communication (B = 0.452; p = 0.003) and social support (B = 0.389; p = 0.007) have a positive and significant effect on the psychological well-being of older adults. Simultaneously, both variables show a significant effect (F = 18.762; p < 0.05), with an R² value of 0.610, meaning that 61% of the variance in the psychological well-being of older adults is explained by empathetic communication and social support.These findings highlight that the quality of dialogical and supportive interpersonal interactions plays an important role in reducing anxiety, alleviating loneliness, and strengthening the sense of meaning in life among older adults. The novelty of this study lies in its quantitative examination of the role of empathetic communication in homecare services, which has previously been discussed more conceptually. Practically, this study recommends the development of a more integrated homecare model that combines medical competence, sensitive communication, and sustainable social support.