The di̇ffi̇culties of household members who take care of the alzhei̇mer pati̇ents i̇n need of care: Example of Akşehir Distrcit

Modern demographic factors point to reduced fertility and prolonged life expectancy. Societies where these factors are active are getting older. The increase in the proportion of the elderly population in the general population causes the elderly to become more widespread. One of these diseases is Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is a disease that has physical, mental and psychological aspects, and is not curable today, and has degenerative and progressive features. The disease progresses over time, making the patient unable to perform self-care independently of anyone else. Depending on the difficulty of the disease, the care of the patients is also a very difficult and abrasive process. Turkish society is also getting older and diseases like Alzheimer's are increasing. It is estimated that family members or household residents caring for Alzheimer's patients also experience significant problems. Within the scope of this thesis, in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 people living in the city center, towns and villages of Akşehir district and caring for Alzheimer's patients. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the caregivers experienced important problems in a region that maintains traditional characteristics to a certain extent in accordance with the nature of modern old age. Keywords: Old Age, Modern Old Age, Advanced Old Age, Alzheimer's Disease, Care Problems.