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Minister Göktaş urges people to call and visit older people on World Day for Older Persons
Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş urged people to call and visit older people on October 1, World Day for Older Persons. Göktaş said 1.8 million people over the age of 65 live alone in Türkiye, adding that a brief phone call or visit can mean a great deal to older people.
Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş urged people to call, visit and talk with older people on October 1, World Day for Older Persons.
In a message, Göktaş said that elders hold a place of honor at the family table in Turkish culture. Comparing family elders to a compass and the North Star, Göktaş said people need their experience and blessings, while older people also look forward to a phone call and kind words from their relatives.
“A brief phone call means a great deal to them”
Drawing attention to the possibility of loneliness in a video message, Göktaş asked people to imagine that someone’s phone had not rung all day, that they had spoken to no one and that no one had opened their door. Citing a study conducted in the United Kingdom, Göktaş said approximately 270,000 people over the age of 65 went an entire week without communicating with anyone.
Göktaş said being together, sharing a meal and talking hold an important place in Turkish culture. Noting that these bonds become more meaningful as people age, Göktaş said she had observed during visits to older people’s homes and care centers that a phone call or a brief visit, though seemingly small, can mean much more to older people.
1.8 million people over 65 live alone
Göktaş said 1.8 million citizens over the age of 65 live alone in Türkiye, adding that older people may sometimes need nothing more than a smile, a phone call or a conversation.
Göktaş said various support programs for older people are continuing, adding that the most meaningful responses come during moments spent sitting together, talking, kissing their hands and sharing their troubles.
Göktaş renewed her call on World Day for Older Persons for people to call and visit older people, drink tea together and talk.
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