Jurnal EMPOWERMENT; Jurnal Ilmiah Program Studi Pendidikan Luar SekolahVolume 12, Nomor 1 Februari 2023p-ISSN No. 2252-4738 e-ISSN : 2580-7692 18 THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY IN FULFILLING THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF THE ELDERLY IN RT 021/ RW009 SAKO VILLAGE PALEMBANG CITY Ira Tri Astuti1*, Mega Nurrizalia2 1,2 Pendidikan Masyarakat, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, Sumatera Selatan, Indonesia 1iratriast@gmail.com*, 2meganurrizalia@fkip.unsri.ac.id. Received: November, 2022; Accepted: February, 2023 Abstract The purpose of this study is to describe the role of the family in meeting the spiritual needs of the elderly in RT.021 RW.009, Sako Village, Palembang City. The type of research used is descriptive with a qualitative approach. Data collection was done by interview, observation and documentation. The subjects of this study were eight people, namely four elderly and four elderly families. The results showed that the role of the family in fulfilling the spiritual needs of the elderly had not been implemented properly. The role of the family in meeting the spiritual needs of the elderly, among others, is a relationship with God, a relationship with oneself, a relationship with others and a relationship with nature. The role of the family in the relationship with God has not been carried out properly, the elderly family pays less attention to and reminds the elderly to worship. However, the elderly already have their own awareness to increase their deeds of worship as provisions in the afterlife. Relationships with oneself are like helping the elderly in finding their purpose in life and helping the elderly solve their problems. Relationships with other people such as providing information and taking trips. Relationships with nature such as facilitating the elderly to keep the environment clean and facilitating the elderly in maintaining the coolness of the environment by farming. To support the spiritual activities of the elderly, the family provides care in the form of spiritual care, physical care, psychological care and social care and it is hoped that the Sako Village will further improve spiritual facilities for the elderly. Keywords: Elderly, Elderly Family Roles, Elderly Spiritual Needs Abstrak Tujuan penelitian ini ialah mendeskripsikan peran keluarga dalam pemenuhan kebutuhan spiritual lansia di RT.021 RW.009 Kelurahan Sako Kota Palembang. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah deskriptif dengan pendekatan kualitatif. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan wawancara, observasi dan dokumentasi. Subjek penelitian ini berjumlah delapan orang, yaitu empat lansia dan empat keluarga lansia. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan peran keluarga dalam pemenuhan kebutuhan spiritual lansia belum terlaksana dengan baik. Peran keluarga dalam memenuhi kebutuhan spiritual lansia antara lain, hubungan dengan Tuhan, hubungan dengan diri sendiri, hubungan dengan orang lain dan hubungan dengan alam. Peran keluarga dalam hubungan dengan Tuhan belum terlaksana dengan baik, keluarga lansia kurang memperhatikan dan mengingatkan lansia untuk beribadah. Namun, lansia sudah memiliki kesadaran sendiri untuk memperbanyak amal ibadah sebagai bekal di akhirat. Hubungan dengan diri sendiri seperti membantu lansia dalam menemukan tujuan hidup dan membantu lansia menyelesaikan masalahnya. Hubungan dengan orang lain seperti memberikan informasi dan mengantar bepergian. Hubungan dengan alam seperti memfasilitasi lansia untuk menjaga kebersihan lingkungan dan memfasilitasi lansia dalam menjaga kesejukan lingkungan dengan bercocok tanam. Untuk mendukung kegiatan spiritual lansia, keluarga memberikan perawatan berupa perawatan spiritual, perawatan fisik, perawatan psikis dan perawatan sosial serta diharapkan pihak Kelurahan Sako agar lebih meningkatkan fasilitas spiritual untuk lansia. Kata kunci: Lanjut Usia, Peran Keluarga Lansia, Kebutuhan Spiritual Lansia How to Cite: Astuti, I.T. & Nurrizalia, M. (2023). The Role of the Family in Fulfilling the Spiritual Needs of the Elderly in RT 021/ RW 009, Sako Village, Palembang City. EMPOWERMENT: Jurnal Ilmiah Program Studi Pendidikan Luar Sekolah 12 (1), 18-25. Triastuti & Nurrizalia. The Role of the Family in Fulfilling the Spiritual Needs of the Elderly in RT 021/ RW 009, Sako Village, Palembang City 19 INTRODUCTION Old age is a period where humans who are in this phase will experience many problems, both physical, mental, social and spiritual health problems. Physical problems can be caused by a decrease in body functions. The mental problem commonly faced by the elderly is loneliness. In addition, there is a feeling of anxiety facing death, be it the death of family, peers and the death of oneself. Anxiety in the face of death will make the elderly not ready to face death. To overcome these problems, spiritual support is needed. Spiritual needs are the need to find a purpose in life, the need to be loved and cherished, the need to give and receive forgiveness, and the need to worship God Almighty. Spiritual needs in the elderly are influenced by the old age factor. Efforts are made to meet the spiritual needs of the elderly by involving the closest people or family to share and devote all their attention to their welfare, especially in terms of the spiritual elderly (Destarina, 2014). The family is the main support system for the elderly in maintaining their health. According to Padila (in Widanti, 2016) the role of the family includes maintaining or caring for the elderly, maintaining and improving mental status, anticipating changes in external social status and providing motivation and facilitating spiritual needs for the elderly. The role of the family towards the elderly is very important because at an older age the elderly need love from their families. Based on preliminary studies that have been carried out by conducting interviews with several elderly people, many of the elderly live or are close to where they live with their families. They often carry out worship activities such as praying, reading the Koran and participating in religious activities at the mosque. The elderly said they had no conflict with other people, be it family or neighbors. While the results of interviews with elderly families said that the care provided to the elderly was to provide food, accompany stories, provide information and take the elderly to travel. This data shows that the elderly are very concerned with their spiritual needs from the aspect of the relationship with God, but do not get support from their family. This is where the role of the family is needed by paying attention to aspects of the spiritual characteristics of the elderly. Many family members do not pay attention to the elderly in meeting their spiritual needs, families only view the elderly as adults who are independent and have their own awareness so they do not remind the elderly to worship. In addition, the spiritual needs of the elderly are not only concerned with aspects of the relationship with God, but must also pay attention to other aspects, namely the elderly's relationship with themselves, others and with nature. Based on this phenomenon, the researcher is interested in conducting research and choosing the title of the research on the role of the family in fulfilling the spiritual needs of the elderly in RT.021 RW.009, Sako Village, Palembang City. METHOD The location of the research was carried out in RT.021 RW.009, Sako Village, Palembang City. This location was chosen because there are many elderly people who live or live close to their families and carry out various worship activities such as praying, reading the Koran and participating in religious activities at the mosque. The elderly in RT.021 are classified as active compared to other elderly people in Sako Village. The type of research used in this research is descriptive, with a qualitative approach. The focus of this study is to describe the role of the elderly family in terms of fulfilling the spiritual needs of the elderly. Data collection methods used are interviews, observation and documentation. Triastuti & Nurrizalia. The Role of the Family in Fulfilling the Spiritual Needs of the Elderly in RT 021/ RW 009, Sako Village, Palembang City 20 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Results Relationship with God The role of the family in meeting the spiritual needs of the elderly regarding the relationship with God has not been carried out well. Most of the elderly families pay less attention to and remind the elderly to worship and the elderly to worship on the basis of their own awareness. The elderly family only occasionally accompanies the elderly to worship, for example if there is an event at the mosque or there is a holiday celebration. However, the elderly family carries out their role well in carrying out physical care to support the spiritual activities of the elderly to run optimally. The elderly family provides the elderly with nutritious food three times a day. Economic limitations make elderly families do not provide additional vitamins, they only rely on vitamins given during health checks at the elderly posyandu, honey, vegetables and fruits as natural vitamins to increase endurance. And elderly families also remind the elderly to do physical activity, physical activities carried out by the elderly are usually morning walks, elderly gymnastics at the posyandu and doing daily activities at home. This is supported by the results of observations which show that the elderly participate in learning the Koran together which is carried out at the bu rt's home. The elderly learn to recite the Koran together with their peers. And the results of observations also show that the elderly participate in elderly gymnastics activities at the elderly posyandu and the elderly look fresh after exercising and look happy because they can gather with their peers. Relationship with Self The role of the family in meeting the spiritual needs of the elderly regarding the relationship between the elderly and themselves is well done. The elderly and their families understand the purpose of life for the elderly to increase their worship as provisions in the afterlife in the form of praying, reading the Koran and giving alms. Problems that are usually faced by the elderly are health problems and economic problems. In dealing with problems in their lives, the elderly usually multiply their deeds of worship so that the mind becomes calm and gathers with peers. The elderly family also plays a very important role in helping the elderly face their problems, such as massaging the elderly, inviting the elderly to seek treatment and reminding the elderly to increase their worship. Psychological treatment carried out by the family for the elderly, such as accompanying the elderly to talk, understanding the changes that exist in the elderly (physiological and psychological changes), listening and helping the elderly overcome their complaints, as well as giving and listening to the advice of the elderly. The most dominant changes are physical changes such as leg pain, back pain, blurred eyes, hearing loss, shortness of breath, and aches and pains. However, a small proportion of the elderly also experience psychological changes such as irritability and irritability. Relationships with Others The role of the family in fulfilling the spiritual needs of the elderly related to the relationship of the elderly with other people is well implemented. The elderly do not have conflicts with other people and often spend time with their families. Elderly tend to easily forgive each other, so it does not cause enmity with others. Harmonious relationships are obtained because they help each other, give each other, friendship and do not interfere with each other. Social care carried out by families for the elderly, such as providing information so that the elderly do not fall behind, taking the elderly for treatment, accompanying the elderly to attend invitations, providing opportunities and taking the elderly to gather with family members, peers and neighbors. This is supported by the results of observations that show the presence of the elderly at the Posyandu activities for the elderly and the elderly also attending the Koran activities, Triastuti & Nurrizalia. The Role of the Family in Fulfilling the Spiritual Needs of the Elderly in RT 021/ RW 009, Sako Village, Palembang City 21 proving that the elderly obtain information about the schedule for the implementation of Koran activities. Relationship with Nature The role of the family in meeting the spiritual needs of the elderly related to the relationship between the elderly and nature is carried out well. The elderly have their own awareness of disposing of garbage in its place and elderly families also provide facilities in the form of buckets or garbage bags. The elderly also enjoy farming such as planting flowers and vegetables. This is supported by the results of observations which show that there are various plants in front of the elderly's house. Discussion Relationship with God Elderly people in RT.021 often perform obligatory worship and only a small proportion do sunnah worship due to limited physical function. The elderly usually perform worship at home, but not a few also do worship at the mosque, such as recitation and attending events commemorating Muslim holidays. This is in line with the opinion of Azizah (in Kirnawati, 2021) who says that the relationship with God (vertical dimension) is a relationship that regulates one's relationship with God such as building religious rituals, being grateful for what God has given, fasting, praying and praying. This is also supported by the opinion according to Young and Koopsen (in Lia, 2018) who say that the relationship with God is an understanding of the human relationship with God understood within the framework of religious life, but now it has been developed more broadly. Relationships with God include both religious and non-religious. This situation involves prayer and prayer, participation in worship activities, and religious equipment. The results of the study said that the physical changes that occur in the elderly make the elderly tend to have difficulty in worshiping. This is in accordance with the opinion of Efendi & Makhfudli (in Febriana, 2019) saying that the elderly who experience physical decline, especially in the musculoskeletal system will experience spiritual changes in the aspect of worship. Elderly with physical limitations can pray sitting or even lying down. The elderly are prone to decline in physical function that occurs due to aging and can disrupt the body's resistance. So, nutritious food is needed to increase body resistance in the elderly. Therefore, the family plays a very important role in controlling the intake of nutritious food received by the elderly. The results of the study are in accordance with the statement of the elderly who say that families serve the elderly by feeding three times a day, but there are also two times a day depending on the appetite of the elderly. This research is in line with the opinion according to Maita (in Juita, 2022) who says that in caring for the elderly, each family member has an important role, one of which is helping prepare food for the elderly. Food preparation here must pay attention to adequate nutrition. In an effort to keep the body healthy, additional vitamins are also needed to support the performance of various body organs in order to function properly. The results showed that economic limitations prevented the elderly from taking additional vitamins, they only relied on the vitamins given during health checks at the posyandu for the elderly. However, a small proportion of the elderly also consume honey, vegetables and fruits. This is in accordance with the results of research conducted by Lestari (2013) which states that with the fulfillment of nutrition, the body can repair and maintain damaged body cells. The elderly family said that the physical activity carried out by the elderly was usually a morning walk, elderly exercise at Triastuti & Nurrizalia. The Role of the Family in Fulfilling the Spiritual Needs of the Elderly in RT 021/ RW 009, Sako Village, Palembang City 22 the posyandu and doing daily activities at home. This statement proves that elderly families pay attention and remind the elderly to carry out various physical activities, so that the elderly are always healthy and able to increase their body resistance. This is in line with Fatmah's opinion (in Purnama, 2019) which states that physical activity is the movement of limbs that causes energy expenditure which is very important for maintaining physical and mental health, as well as maintaining quality of life in order to stay healthy and fit throughout the day. Relationship with Self Spiritual improvement for the elderly can find the meaning of life's purpose and can help improve the quality of life for the elderly (Yuzefo, 2015). This opinion is in line with the results of research which shows that the elderly have quite understood the purpose of their lives, there are those whose life goals are for the world, for the hereafter and some are for the hereafter. The elderly also have the awareness to prepare provisions in the afterlife, such as by increasing the number of acts of worship in the form of praying, reading the Koran and giving alms. Self-awareness is a strength that exists within a person. In recognizing themselves, the elderly must also be able to accept the problems they face. Humility is able to accept difficulties and solve problems is one form of self-acceptance of the elderly to their destiny. The results of the study show how the elderly face their difficulties by multiplying the deeds of worship so that the mind becomes calm and gathers with peers. This study is in line with Stanley's opinion (in Anitasari, 2021) which states that the elderly can also experience psychosocial problems such as depression, anxiety about death and suicide. Someone with less religious beliefs is easy to experience psychological problems such as stress. Spirituality is the most important dimension for emotional well-being in the elderly. This is also in accordance with the opinion of Adib Hajhbaghery (in Sibuea, 2020) who said that spiritual support can reduce the negative effects of stress, fear and can also reduce mortality. The elderly family also plays a role in helping the elderly deal with their problems, for example if the elderly experience aches, the family will help massage the elderly and remind the elderly to increase their worship so that the mind becomes calm. This is in line with the opinion of Hariani (2019) which says that having strong family ties is very helpful when the elderly face problems, because the family is the closest person to the elderly. In general, the elderly experience a decline in body functions which causes the elderly to experience changes in their lives, especially physical changes. The results showed that the elderly and their families were able to understand the changes that existed in the elderly such as physical and psychological changes. This is in line with Friedman's opinion (in Wahyuni, 2021) about the function of the family, namely the affective function. Affective function is a family function related to the internal functions of the family in the form of affection, protection, and psychosocial support for its members. The success of affective function can be seen through a happy and happy family. Family members are able to develop a positive self-image, a sense of belonging, a sense of meaning, and a source of affection. The existence of changes makes the elderly unprepared to face and accept the changes that occur. Family support to provide understanding to the elderly is very necessary. The results of the study stated that the role of the family in providing care for the elderly was in the form of the psychological needs of the elderly, such as inviting the elderly to tell stories, listening and helping the elderly overcome their complaints, as well as giving and listening to their advice. This research is in line with Setiti's opinion (in Hariani, 2019) which states that the elderly need psychological needs including emotional support where the elderly need an environment that Triastuti & Nurrizalia. The Role of the Family in Fulfilling the Spiritual Needs of the Elderly in RT 021/ RW 009, Sako Village, Palembang City 23 understands and understands them. The elderly need friends to talk to, frequent visits, and frequent greetings. Relationships with Others Understanding other people's relationships is about the harmonious or disharmony of one's relationship with others. A person's attitude determines his relationship with others, being kind or otherwise causing conflict. The results showed that the relationship between the elderly and other people tended to be good. The elderly spend a lot of time hanging out with their family, a few rarely get together with other people because they are afraid that they will speak wrongly and can cause conflict. Harmonious relationships are obtained because they help each other, give each other, friendship and do not interfere with each other. This research is in line with the opinion of Yusuf (in Kirnawati 2021) who says that harmonious relationships with other people can be motivation or psychological and social support for the elderly when there are problems. Conversely, a relationship that is not harmonious will cause conflict between the elderly which results in a lack of spiritual support. Elderly tend to easily forgive each other and there is no conflict with family or neighbors. By forgiving the mistakes of others, it can reduce the burden on the elderly, so that the elderly can live healthy and happy lives. This research is in line with the opinion of Pusvitasari (2020) which states that forgiveness is one thing that can provide great benefits to make someone happy. The higher the forgiveness, the higher the happiness in the elderly. The group activities that are usually carried out by the elderly are participating in posyandu activities for the elderly, such as the Koran and gymnastics for the elderly. This is in accordance with Setiti's opinion (in Lestari, 2013) which says that family social care is that the family tries to accompany them to talk, listen to their advice, give news to people in their environment and news in general. On the other hand, the elderly are accompanied by grandchildren or other family members to meet with their peers, as well as with a group of friends. The elderly are also given activities with their groups, namely religious groups, sports, recitation, yasinan, social gathering, friendship groups, traditional groups and others. Relationship with Nature Understanding the relationship with nature is a person's sensitivity to the state of the environment around him. One can implement it by planting crops, disposing of waste in its place and protecting nature. The results showed that the elderly already have the awareness to protect the surrounding environment by not littering, usually the elderly collect garbage in one place and then burn it. The elderly also enjoy farming such as planting flowers and vegetables. It is also seen from the results of observations made by researchers that there are various plants in front of the elderly's house. This is in accordance with Pulchaski's opinion (in Febriana, 2019) which states that the characteristics of a person's spirituality in dealing with nature will place more emphasis on harmony in knowing and communicating with nature. With the beauty of nature, one will be able to feel how beautiful God's creation is. This is also supported by the opinion according to Yusuf (in Kirnawati 2021) who says that the relationship with nature is like admiring God's creation which can create physical and spiritual harmony, concern for the surroundings, so as to create peace consisting of justice, compassion for the entire universe. CONCLUSION Based on the results of the research and discussion that have been described, it can be concluded that the role of the elderly family in RT.021 RW.009 Sako Village, Sako District, Triastuti & Nurrizalia. The Role of the Family in Fulfilling the Spiritual Needs of the Elderly in RT 021/ RW 009, Sako Village, Palembang City 24 Palembang City has not been carried out properly in caring for the elderly. The role of the family in meeting the spiritual needs of the elderly, among others, is a relationship with God, a relationship with oneself, a relationship with others and a relationship with nature. The role of the family that is directly related to the spirituality of the elderly, namely the relationship with God has not been carried out properly, the elderly family does not pay attention and remind the elderly to worship. However, the elderly already have their own awareness to increase their deeds of worship as provisions in the afterlife. The role of the family in supporting the elderly spiritually runs optimally well. Relationships with oneself are like helping the elderly in finding their purpose in life and helping the elderly solve their problems. Relationships with other people such as providing information, traveling, inviting the elderly to meet with family members, peers and neighbors. Relationships with nature such as facilitating the elderly to keep the environment clean by disposing of garbage in its place and facilitating the elderly in maintaining the coolness of the environment by farming. To support the spiritual activities of the elderly, the family provides care in the form of spiritual care, physical care, psychological care and social care. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I thank Allah Subhanahuawata'allah for His blessings, mercy, and guidance so that the author can complete this scientific paper with the title: "The Role of the Family in Fulfilling the Spiritual Needs of the Elderly in RT.021 RW.009, Sako Village, Palembang City" . The writing of this scientific paper is carried out in order to fulfill one of the requirements to get a Bachelor's degree at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Sriwijaya University. I realize that without the help and guidance of various parties, it would be quite difficult for me to complete this scientific paper. Therefore, on this occasion, with all humility, the author would like to express his sincere gratitude to: 1. The author's parents who have provided various supports and prayers and sacrifices so that the author can complete his studies to date. May you always be given health, long life, and a life full of blessings always. 2. To the writer's sister who always prays and provides support. 3. Mrs. Mega Nurrizalia, M.Pd as the supervisor who has taken the time to guide and provide input related to this scientific paper. 4. Mrs. Dr.Azizah Husin, M.Pd as the examiner lecturer who is always patient in providing input and directions related to this scientific paper. 5. Mr / Mrs lecturer and admin of the Community Education Study Program. Mrs. Dra. Evy Ratna Kartika Waty, M. Pd., Ph. D., Dr. Azizah Husin, M. Pd., Ms. Mega Nurrizalia, M.Pd., Mr. Shomedran, M. Pd., Ms. Yanti Karmila Nengsih, M. Pd., Mr. Ardi Saputra, S. Pd., M.Sc., Ms. Dian Sri Andriani, S. Pd., M.Sc and Mrs. Yuhyi Purnamasari S. Pd. Thank you for educating, guiding, and providing useful knowledge in my educational journey. Thank you for helping the smooth administration of writing this scientific paper. 6. All my friends from the Class of 2018 Public Education of Sriwijaya University who provided various memories and stories as well as support during college. All parties who help the writer in completing this thesis that the writer cannot mention one by one. Triastuti & Nurrizalia. The Role of the Family in Fulfilling the Spiritual Needs of the Elderly in RT 021/ RW 009, Sako Village, Palembang City 25 REFERENCES Anitasari, B. (2021). Relationship of Spiritual Needs Fulfillment with Quality of Life for the Elderly: Literature Review. Journal of Health Phenomena, 4(01), 463-477. Destarina, Vera dkk. (2014). Spiritual Picture of Elderly in Tresna Werdha Khsunul Khotimah Social Home Pekanbaru. Online Journal of Nursing Science Program Students (JOM PSIK), 1(2):1-8. Febriana, Y., Andarmoyo, S., & Susanti, S. (2019). Relationship between Family Support and Meeting the Spiritual Needs of the Elderly. In 1st Proceedings of the National Seminar of the Faculty of Health Sciences (pp. 156-161). 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