The experiences of aging in place and social service needs of elderly people living at home: The case of Ankara province

The main problem of the study is to reveal the experiences of aging in place of individuals in the 65+ age group living at home, their difficulties, and to determine their social service needs in the example of Ankara province. The study aims to reveal the problems experienced by older people living at home regarding their support and care needs and to determine the social service needs related to the elimination of these problems within the scope of aging in place. The experiences and social service needs of elderly people living at home were discussed in the context of the ecological system approach. The study was conducted with a qualitative research design and used the phenomenological approach. A total of 30 elderly people, 16 women and 14 men, living in Ankara province were reached through snowball sampling and semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted. The data were subjected to thematic analysis under two themes called as "aging in place experiences" and "aging in place support systems and social service needs". According to the research findings, elderly people want to live in their accustomed homes for as long as possible. The preferences of living at home are determined by the suitability of the physical conditions of the house, the accessibility of the surrounding places, the communication and transportation facilities, the participation in sociocultural activities, the ability to use technology, and the meaning they refer to the home. Other factors include diversity and quality of informal and formal support systems. Elderly people trust the services provided by public institutions and benefit from home health and care related to aging in place. Elderly people want to receive social support and home care services from day centers to be opened on a neighborhood basis. In the study, the aging in place experiences and social service needs of elderly people living at home were discussed with sociocultural and economic dimensions from the perspective of social work discipline. Recommendations were made for developing and implementing social policies on alternative service models, considering elderly people's characteristics, needs and preferences.