The levels of meeting socio-cultural and moral needs of elderly who are under the institutional protection: Case of Istanbul Kayışdağı Darülaceze

By aging, a number of changes occur on physical, cognitive and social characteristics of individual and transition from independent condition to dependent condition of an individual is observed. During this period, needs of the older individual may change depending on his/her social, economic and demographic conditions. While meeting these needs elderly individual's family and people around them have important roles. However, social changes caused by industrialization, technological changes, increasing women employment and immigration of young people abroad to find a job lead to isolation of the elderly mother and fathers. Therefore elderly individuals require alternative care models. One of these is the model of institutional care.In this thesis, a case study concerning in the determination of socio-cultural and moral needs of elderly individual under the institutional care and protection and designation of institutions? duty and task for meeting these needs is conducted in İstanbul Kayışdağı Darülaceze.Results significantly reveal that elderly individual who has better social relations and who is able to take social support when s/he needs feel connected to the life. Moreover, elderly individuals who are under the institutional care and protection feel happier, wealthier, healthier and more connected to life with the help of participation of spare time activities with social, cultural and moral content.