Abstract:

The number of elderly people in Turkey is increasing just like in all over the world. As of 2015, 7.5% of Turkey's population consists of people aged 65 years and over. The need for nursing homes, which is social service model for the elderly in Turkey in recent years. This study is conducted in order to reveal the opinions of the elderly about their own lives in the nursing homes. The sample of this research consist of 100 elderly people who are 65 years old or/and above living in Bahçelievler Nursing Home Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Center, Sultangazi Nursing Home and Zeytinburnu Semiha Şakir Nursing Home, which is affiliated to Istanbul Family and Social Policies Provincial Directorate. "Interview Forms with Elderly Individuals" were applied to elders. When they were asked “where they think should be living?” 49% of them responded that they would live in nursing homes, 18% in their own homes, and 33% indicated that they should be living with their families / children.In addition, all the elders who participate in the study have at least one child. Nevertheless, only 32% of the elderly continued to live with their children / families before they were placed to nursing homes. In this context, the change in the structure of the family and the perception of the care offered by the family are shifted both the the children and the elderly people themselves. For this reason, the need for institutional care services for the elderly is increasing, especially in big cities.

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