Gelisim News

Stating that Turkey gets older and ‘gray tsunami' (rapid aging) is expected along with the increasing number of elderly, Public Health Specialist Assist. Prof. Dr. Nurten Elkin said that they organized the 1st International Istanbul Gerontology Workshop with the foresight of this important change. Emphasizing that many important scientists will attend the workshop to be held on November 5 at Istanbul Gelisim University, Elkin said: “Aging and the risks posed by aging from a biopsychosocial point of view also make these phenomena a public health problem. Taking all kinds of protective measures that will ensure the physical, psychological and social well-being of the elderly will ensure that our elderly receive a healthy age. Aging is not a disease but a physiological and social issue. Multidisciplinary studies and service models that enable this situation to be managed through a well-designed process from birth to death have become as important as demographic change.”

Turkey's first gerontologist, Head of Akdeniz University the Faculty of Health Sciences the Department of Gerontology, Tazelenme University and the National Social and Applied Gerontology Association Prof. Dr. İsmail TUFAN, Prof. Dr. Terence SEEDSMAN from Victoria University Melbourne Australia, who is the so-called “Einstein of Alzheimer’s” at his own country, Head of Geropsychiatry Association and Turkish Alzheimer Association  Prof. Dr. Engin EKER one of the pioneers of geropsychiatry in our country, Lect. Gerontologist F. Sıla AYAN from the Department of Gerontology of the School of Health Sciences at Istanbul Gelisim University will make scientific share, moderated by Head of the Department of Gerontology at the School of Health Sciences from Istanbul.

Stating that gerontology is a discipline that study aging from a multi-faceted and holistic perspective, Elkin said: “This new field established by Prof. Dr. İsmail Tufan from Akdeniz University in 2006 has started to offer education-training under IGU School of Health Sciences as of 2019-2020 academic year. According to TurkStat data, the elderly population in our country will increase to 8.6 million people i.e. 10.2 percent in 2023. This prediction means that we experience the change in a period of 20 years while the European countries do in almost a century and that we are one of the fastest aging countries in the world. Conducting scientific interventions in the aging process of the aging population with a multidisciplinary understanding will provide essential targets for sustainable development such as improving individual and social quality of life, effective use of resources and maximizing healthy longevity.”

Saying that aging is not a period of loss, Asst. Prof. Dr. Nurten Elkin expressed: “Aging is a chance and privilege. Being a person who has the chance to age depends on gaining a biopsychosocial protective and healthy lifestyle and a positive perspective in the early stages of life. Gerontology, on the other hand, adopts an approach that seeks to ensure healthy and active aging, rather than being a discipline that meets the risk management and maintenance needs in old age.” Elkin continued her speech as follows:

“In this respect, it is essential to do exercise, healthy eating, regular sleep, to avoid harmful habits, to have periodic health checks to follow, to achieve a high level of compliance with the treatment of non-communicable diseases, to socialize and to lead a productive life, being open to new ideas, not to take risks, to learn and thrive for a lifetime in order to have a healthy and long life.”

Stating that studies on monozygotic twins show that aging processes are related to environmental factors and individual behaviors rather than genetic structure, Elkin said that in this respect, we should manage the process with the right choices and behaviors rather than fearing our genetic structure or relying on the large number of long-lived individuals in our family.