Meaningful Social Contribution from MAKÜ Center for Aging Studies

Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ), on October 1st World Elderly Day, did not forget the elderly citizens in Burdur. MAKÜ Aging Research Center volunteer students, under the coordination of the Center Directorate, showed loyalty by visiting elderly people living alone in Burdur center and districts at their homes. These visits were carried out to provide support to the elderly and to alleviate their loneliness to some extent.

Projects for Elderly Living Alone

Aging Research Center Director and Social Work Department Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deniz Say Şahin stated that the center determines a theme each year that will contribute at the local level regarding elderly individuals. Within the scope of the "Loneliness" theme determined for the year 2024, research and monitoring studies for elderly people living alone continue with the "Aging World, Aging Alone Burdur" project.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şahin stated that elderly people living alone in Burdur are regularly visited by the Aging Research Center, and data collection and monitoring studies are carried out. Additionally, she emphasized the importance of these studies in identifying the needs of the elderly in Burdur, noting that according to TÜİK data, Burdur is among the top five provinces with the highest rate of elderly people living alone.

Social Contribution and Academic Activities

The Aging Research Center continues its activities in cooperation with local public institutions, foundations, and associations related to aging, in line with Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University's motto "From Universal Knowledge to Social Contribution." Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şahin added that MAKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar and the university administration closely follow these studies and provide the necessary support.

The center participates as a host or participant in symposiums, congresses, and panels organized at national and international levels. However, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şahin emphasized that home visits and monitoring studies conducted with the elderly are more important than academic activities in terms of supporting social contribution.

Support from Volunteer Students

The Aging Research Center has a volunteer student community, mostly consisting of students from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences Social Work Department. Volunteer students regularly conduct research and field studies for the elderly under the coordination of the Center. Additionally, undergraduate and graduate students from any department interested in aging research can receive up-to-date information and consultancy services for their thesis and research studies.