Aging and social work in Turkey: A Qualitative research on policy makers and practitioners in the context of ecological approach

Aging and elderlyhood refer to a process that includes many different components. Experiencing and sustaining this process in a healthy way is possible by implementing multi-dimensional policies and practices. The social work discipline and profession have a critical role in the implementation of these multidimensional policies and practices. For this reason, the study aimed to analyze the current social service policies and practices for the elderly in Turkey from an ecological perspective in order to evaluate them holistically. For this purpose, the study was designed as a case study, one of the qualitative research approaches, and the participants were determined using the purposeful sampling technique. Since the making and implementation of the policies in question involves many stakeholders other than social services, the working group consists of 22 participants who contribute directly and indirectly to the making of old-age policies. Interviews were held for data collection purposes and a semi-structured interview form was used in the interviews. Research data were analyzed and interpreted with the MAXQDA program. As a result of the analysis of the research, five themes emerged: Nature of Policies, Status and Development of Policies, Application Areas and Types of Policies, Effects of Policies and Future of Policies. According to the research findings, poor elderly people and elderly people within a certain age range, in other words idealized elderly people, are included in the scope of the elderly policy. In addition, it has been understood that care and assistance-based practices predominate in social service policies for the elderly. It has been revealed that the opinions of NGOs, universities and local governments were taken into account at least a little in the policy development processes, but there was no multi-dimensional cooperation. Regarding the future of policies, it has been seen that there is a need for more holistic and comprehensive practices that encourage active aging and participation in social life for a dignified old age, and that elderly care and respect for the elderly should be added to the curriculum in education. According to the results of the research, it has been revealed that the contribution of the social work profession, discipline and professional staff is not sufficient in the creation and development of social service policies for the elderly, and therefore it is necessary for social work professionals to actively use their advocacy roles and fulfill their responsibilities to influence social policies.