Policies and regulations for negligence and abused of elderly people in Turkey

Because Turkey is a developing country, elderly population is getting increased. The policies concerning of strengthing family and elderly living a quality life are quite important. The purpose of this research is to explore and offer new policies regarding to the walfare of elderly who is getting alienated and become needy in Turkey while the world is changing and modernizing. Social policies for the elderly which is produced in Turkey are examined in institutional care and financial assistance. Rather than strengthening the family in aspects of of legislation and practice, financial assistance for the saving the day or institutional care service does not provide a lasting solution to the problem of elderly abuse and neglect but also causes problems to continue. Elderly individuals have fear of leaving the home they grew up in and social environment which they belong to. Most elderly people who live with their families can refuse to go to nursing homes even if they are neglected and exposed to abuse. Nursing homes can lead them to having feelings like elderly, impulsivity, unwantedness and abandonment. For such reasons, it is assumed that elderly people can prefer living alone or living together with family members to nursing homes unless they have the mandatory conditions such as homelessness, need for care, material deprivation. As a consequence, in light of the literature concerning the causes and prevention of elderly abuse and neglect, in order to prevent elder abuse and neglect, social policy recommendations like enhancement of family awareness, development of elderly home care, improvement of institutional care conditions, establising elderly day-care centers, etc. have been developed.