ABSTRACT
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ELDERLY PERCEPTION AND FAMILY SUPPORT IN EXPERIENCING OLD AGE IN BESUKI VILLAGE, SAMBIT DISTRICT, PONOROGO REGENCY
By: Desi Nur Fitriani
Aging perception is the process through which older adults understand, evaluate, and interpret the aging process, influencing their attitudes and acceptance of later life. Perceived family support is one of the factors associated with the well-being of older adults during the aging process. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between aging perception and perceived family support among older adults in Besuki Village, Sambit District, Ponorogo Regency.
This study employed a cross-sectional correlational study with a quantitative approach. The study population consisted of 441 older adults, with a sample of 210 respondents selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Aging Perception Questionnaire and the Perceived Family Support Questionnaire and were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation test with a significance level of 0.05.
The results showed that the majority of respondents had a high level of aging perception (129 respondents; 61.4%). The largest proportion of respondents reported a high level of perceived family support (101 respondents; 48.1%). Spearman's rank correlation analysis showed Spearman's rho (rₛ) = 0.831 with p < 0.001, indicating a very strong positive correlation between aging perception and perceived family support. It was concluded that there was a very strong positive relationship between aging perception and perceived family support among older adults in Besuki Village, Sambit District, Ponorogo Regency. These findings may serve as a reference for families and healthcare professionals in optimizing support for older adults within the community.

Keywords: Aging perception; family support; older adults; community nursing