Our Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık said that they aim to generalize the "Day Care and Active Life Centres" model in order to enrich the social relations of older persons and increase their quality of life, and that this model will also support the preservation of the traditional family structure.

Minister Yanık attended the opening of the Day Care and Active Life Centre in Mersin, where she went for a series of visits. In her speech here, Minister Yanık stated that the fertility rate has decreased and life expectancy has increased in the world, and said that population ageing is an important agenda.

Pointing out that the rate of population aged 65 and over in Türkiye has reached 9.7 percent by the end of 2021, Minister Yanık said, "When we look at the population projection, it is predicted that by 2050, one out of every 5 people in our society will reach the age of 65 and over. The changes and transformations experienced oblige us to produce new policies and develop service policies. The increase in the older persons population requires an increase in capacity and efficiency in care services. Our obligation to transform our social service networks in an effective and functional way has become inevitable.”

Stating out that they carry out a process with a high success rate in the field of social services, Minister Yanık said that they offer different options such as long-term care services to older persons in need of care in institutions, and home care, day care services and health service allowance for those who want to live in their own home.

More than 27 thousand citizens are served in nursing homes and care centres

Minister Yanık stated that the family is at the centre of all social policies and said: "If the conditions of our citizens; children, women, persons with disabilities, older persons or those in need of social assistance, are suitable to stay with their families, we produce our service to support the family. We provide home care allowance to the families of more than 500 thousand persons with disabilities and older persons."

Noting that older persons, who are unable to receive service with their families, are taken into institutional care, Minister Yanık said: "We serve older persons with our nursing homes, elderly care and rehabilitation centres and living homes for older persons spread all over Türkiye.  As of today, we serve more than 27 thousand adults in our elderly care and rehabilitation centres with 449 nursing homes with a capacity of approximately 37 thousand."

"We will establish 6 pilot Day Care and Active Life Centres"

Minister Yanık said: “We aim to generalize the "Day Care and Active Life Centres" model in order to enrich the social relations of older persons and increase their quality of life. We will also support the preservation of the traditional family structure of this model.”

Minister Yanık stated that they will establish 6 pilot Day Care and Active Life Centres that will cover the provinces of Adana, Mersin, Hatay, Şanlıurfa, Bursa and Osmaniye and said: “Through these centres, we will also provide daily care, counselling, solidarity, rehabilitation services and home care assistance to older persons. Our goal with the Day Care and Active Life Centres is to provide quality and free service that meets the needs and demands of older persons and their families. We plan that the Day Care and Active Life Centres, which have been implemented within the scope of the project, will be one of the main sustainable service units of our ministry, and we continue our efforts towards this goal."

Expressing that they are happy to open the first example of the Day Care and Active Life Centre in Mersin, Minister Yanık said, "We will continue to be a working and productive Türkiye that stands with the prayers of experienced older persons, rests in their shadow, directs its future with the advice it receives from them."

After the speeches, Minister Yanık, Mersin Governor Ali Hamza Pehlivan and other interested parties visited the centre opened, and then visited the Davultepe Children's Houses.

Visit to the martyr's family and the police injured in the terrorist attack

Derya Yanık, Minister of Family and Social Services, visited Mersin Governorship, Akdeniz Municipality and AK Party Provincial Presidency within the scope of her contacts.

Minister Yanık and Mersin Governor Ali Hamza Pehlivan visited the family of police officer Sedat Gezer, who was killed in the terrorist attack to the police house in Mezitli district on September 26, living in the Akdeniz Neighborhood.

Minister Yanık wished the Governor Pehlivan and the police officer Abdulkadir Öztürk, who was injured in the same attack, to get well soon at the Mersin University Hospital, where he was treated.