Pengaruh caregiver terhadap kualitas hidup lansia = the influence of caregivers on the quality of life of the elderly

ABSTRAK Latar Belakang: Peningkatan jumlah lansia di Indonesia menuntut perhatian terhadap kualitas hidup mereka. Salah satu faktor yang diduga berpengaruh terhadap kualitas hidup lansia adalah keberadaan caregiver. Caregiver berperan dalam membantu aktivitas sehari-hari, pengelolaan pengobatan, serta memberikan dukungan emosional dan sosial. Namun, hubungan antara keberadaan caregiver dan kualitas hidup lansia masih memerlukan kajian lebih lanjut. Tujuan: Mengetahui hubungan antara keberadaan caregiver dengan kualitas hidup lansia di Poli Geriatri RSUP Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar periode Desember 2025 – Januari 2026. Metode: Penelitian ini menggunakan desain cross-sectional dengan teknik total sampling. Sampel penelitian berjumlah 30 lansia yang memenuhi kriteria inklusi dan eksklusi. Data dikumpulkan melalui kuesioner dan dianalisis menggunakan uji Chi-Square dengan tingkat signifikansi 95% (α = 0,05). Hasil: Dari 30 responden, 21 lansia (70,0%) memiliki caregiver dan 9 lansia (30,0%) tidak memiliki caregiver. Sebanyak 18 lansia (60,0%) memiliki kualitas hidup baik dan 12 lansia (40,0%) memiliki kualitas hidup buruk. Hasil uji Chi-Square menunjukkan terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara keberadaan caregiver dan kualitas hidup lansia (p = 0,020; p < 0,05). Namun, proporsi kualitas hidup baik lebih tinggi pada lansia tanpa caregiver (88,9%) dibandingkan lansia dengan caregiver (47,6%). Kesimpulan: Terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara keberadaan caregiver dan kualitas hidup lansia. Namun, keberadaan caregiver kemungkinan mencerminkan kondisi lansia dengan tingkat ketergantungan yang lebih tinggi, sehingga hubungan tersebut tidak dapat diinterpretasikan secara langsung sebagai hubungan sebab-akibat. Kata Kunci: caregiver, kualitas hidup, lansia, geriatri, cross-sectional ABSTRACK Background: The increasing elderly population in Indonesia highlights the importance of maintaining their quality of life. The presence of a caregiver is considered a potential factor influencing elderly quality of life. Caregivers provide assistance in daily activities, medication management, and emotional and social support. However, the relationship between caregiver presence and quality of life among the elderly requires further investigation. Objective: To determine the association between caregiver presence and quality of life among elderly patients at the Geriatric Clinic of RSUP Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Makassar during December 2025 – January 2026. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional design using total sampling technique. A total of 30 elderly participants meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria were included. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed with the Chi-Square test at a 95% confidence level (α = 0.05). Results: Among 30 respondents, 21 elderly individuals (70.0%) had caregivers, while 9 (30.0%) did not. Eighteen respondents (60.0%) had good quality of life, whereas 12 (40.0%) had poor quality of life. Chi-Square analysis revealed a significant association between caregiver presence and quality of life (p = 0.020; p < 0.05). However, a higher proportion of good quality of life was observed among elderly without caregivers (88.9%) compared to those with caregivers (47.6%). Conclusion: There is a statistically significant association between caregiver presence and elderly quality of life. Nevertheless, caregiver presence likely reflects higher dependency levels among elderly individuals, indicating that the relationship cannot be directly interpreted as causal. Keywords: caregiver, quality of life, elderly, geriatrics, cross-sectional study