Weekly Press Release of Istanbul Gelisim University (Issue 46) (April 20-24, 2020)  

Reminding that the elderly have not been able to leave the house for about a month due to the coronavirus, Lecturer Mehmet Başcıllar drew attention to the fact that the psychosocial effects of living alone are extremely severe. Underlining that seniors should be interviewed with their loved ones in this period, Başcıllar said: “There is a need for social workers to be employed in psychosocial services to be offered to the elderly.” Expressing that extraordinary measures are taken to protect the health of the elderly population at the global and national level, Mehmet Başcıllar, the Lecturer from Istanbul Gelisim University Social Service Department, stated that 1.3 million elderly individuals live alone at home according to current data. Stating that the psychosocial effects of not leaving the house and living alone for about a month have been extremely severe, Başcıllar said: “According to the research conducted with 44 thousand people diagnosed with coronavirus in China, 88% of those who lost their lives due to the virus are 60 years and older. This spooky rate explains the importance of the measures taken better.” You can visit www.gelisim.edu.tr to see the detailed news.