Stating that the scope of the Elderly Support Program (YADES), which is carried out to provide the necessary care and support to older persons in need of service, in the places where they live, has been expanded, Our Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık said: “We will support 6 more projects in Sakarya, Kocaeli, Istanbul and Osmaniye provinces. We will transfer 3 million TL of resources for the new projects to be carried out. Thus, the total amount of resources we transfer to the 61 YADES Project to be carried out by municipalities will reach 39 million TL.”

Minister Derya Yanık reminding that October 1 is celebrated as the International Day of Older Persons, emphasized that older persons have a special place in Turkish society. Stating that older persons are highly valued in the Turkish family structure, Minister Yanık pointed out that older persons build a bridge between yesterday and today. Minister Yanık said: “We are aware that older persons have a great role in the protection of our family ties and social values. We also carry out our works to strengthen the social life bonds of older persons and to support intergenerational solidarity.”

“We shape our policies within the framework of active and healthy ageing”

Minister Yanık emphasized that they have shaped national policies on ageing within the framework of active and healthy ageing of older persons, in family integrity and by preserving their ties with social life, to create a wide area of action. Yanık said: “We aim to provide older persons with a model where they receive care support and integrate into social life, primarily with their families and relatives, instead of institutional care services. We continue our efforts to raise awareness for older persons to lead a happy life in an active, productive and respectable way and to take their deserved place in the society. In this context, we see October 1, International Day of Older Persons as an important opportunity to raise awareness. On this meaningful day, I would like to express our respect to older persons once again.”

Within the scope of YADES, 111 thousand older persons were supported

Providing information about the Elderly Support Program (YADES), which they have implemented to provide the necessary care and support to older persons in need of service, in the places where they live, Minister Yanık said:

“We have been carrying out YADES since 2016 with the aim of protecting and supporting our citizens over the age of 65, providing care at home and providing psycho-social support. We support the home care and day care services projects of local governments so that older persons can continue their lives in their own homes and with their families. We provide financial support to YADES projects that aim to raise awareness about ageing. In this direction, we have provided a total of 36 million TL financial support to 31 municipalities for 55 YADES projects. We reached 111 thousand 559 older persons in 76 thousand 497 households and provided home care, psycho-social support and cultural activities.”

“We will support 6 more projects”

Pointing out that the efforts to expand YADES throughout the country continue, Minister Yanık said, “We will expand the scope of YADES and support 6 more projects in the provinces of Sakarya, Kocaeli, Istanbul and Osmaniye. We will transfer 3 million TL of resources for the new projects to be carried out. Thus, the amount of resources we have transferred to the 61 YADES Project to be carried out by the municipalities will reach 39 million TL in total.”

By the Ministry since 2016, YADES projects of 31 municipalities in 28 provinces which are; Sakarya, Kayseri, Trabzon, Kahramanmaraş, Şanlıurfa, Antalya, Gaziantep, Malatya, Ordu, Samsun, Kocaeli, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, Balıkesir, Konya, Mardin, Adıyaman, Ağrı, Bingöl, Hakkari, Rize, Isparta, Osmaniye, Niğde, Van, Bayburt, Istanbul and Yozgat, are supported.

With the allowance to be transferred this year, YADES Projects of 6 municipalities from Sakarya, Kocaeli, Istanbul and Osmaniye provinces will be supported.

 Day of Older Persons events to be held in nursing homes

The Ministry of Family and Social Services will organize activities throughout the week in order for older persons to have fun and recharge their morale in nursing homes on the occasion of October 1, International Day of Older Persons.

In this context, Yavuz Bingöl concert will be held in Etiler Nursing Home in Istanbul on September 30. Minister Derya Yanık will also watch the concert with the residents of the nursing home.

Minister Yanık, who will meet with the residents of the Çamlıca Prof. Dr. Fahrettin Kerim- Nilüfer Gökay Nursing Home Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Centre on October 1, will meet with the residents of Ankara Seyranbağları Nursing Home Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Centre on October 5. In the program, the Republic of Korea Embassy will present Peace Medals to Korean Veterans Selçuk Fidegül and Ali Cengiz Türkoğul, residents of the nursing home who participated in the Korean War.

Within the scope of the "Digital Spring Project", which is carried out in cooperation with the Ministry and Turkcell to improve the digital literacy of older persons in nursing homes, the Digital Spring Room will be opened on October 6 in Osmaniye Özden Nursing Home with the participation of Minister Derya Yanık.

Minister Yanık will open the Day Care and Active Living Centre in Mersin on October 7.