Increasing Effective Communication with the Elders during the Coronavirus- 19 Information Pandemic

Abstract

          The objectives of this research were to study: 1) patterns of communication with the elders during the Coronavirus 19 information pandemic, 2) problems and limitations of communication with the elders during the Coronavirus 19 information pandemic, and 3) guidelines for increasing effective communication with the elders during the Coronavirus 19 information pandemic. This qualitative study applied document research, in-depth interviews with 10 key informants, and a focus group discussion with 10 elders and persons involved with elders. Data were analyzed by using a thematic analysis approach by capturing important issues or essence hidden in the data and linking them to the concepts and then to be concluded as research results.
          Major findings: 1) patterns of communication with the elders during the Coronavirus 19 information pandemic were formal and informal in forms of downward and upward communications, 2) problems and limitations of communication with the elders were found in 4 categories: knowledge of content that needs to be communicated, timeliness, message, channel, and communication skill, and 3) to increase effective communication with the elders during the coronavirus 19 information pandemic, it could be done by applying the SMILE Model of communication that focuses on 5 categories, which were: sender, message, intention, listener, and environment.  .