Social Considerations of the Elderly for Home Environment Design Based on COVID-19 Pandemic Situation

The elderly often experience degenerative process that affect their activities and how they interact socially in their environment. Based on these conditions, this article explored the elderly feelings of anxiety related to their decreased physical mobility condition, and how they cope with social disconnectedness and health protocols in pandemic situation. This research is quantitative descriptive. Data collection was carried out through interviews and surveys, to gather the elderly condition and opinion about physical health and mobility, their feeling of anxiety facing COVID-19 pandemic and toward social disconnectedness when they perform COVID-19 health protocols. This research aimed to find social features for home environment which able to accommodate elderly people needs of social connectedness, independence, and self-esteem. The research showed that the elderly felt confident on their health and physical mobility, even though they felt anxiety toward COVID-19. Physical mobility, COVID-19 prevention, and social connectedness have no significant effect on the anxiety variable in the elderly. Based on the gathered data, this research proposed that creative industries involve with home environments’ designs should consider to develop designs that are enable the elderly to move around safely and therefore maintain their self-esteem, meet with others on-site safely, and to meet others and connect with outside world virtually.