Turkey's Elderly Loneliness Risk Atlas Published

Shared within the scope of the International Day of Older Persons, Turkey's Elderly Loneliness Risk Atlas revealed that 18.2% of people aged 50 and over in the country feel lonely.

Research Data and Ratios

The study prepared by Prof. Dr. Murat Şentürk from the Istanbul University Department of Sociology and his team by evaluating data from 81 cities revealed the dimensions of the danger of loneliness.

Approximately 4.1 million people, corresponding to 18.2% of individuals aged 50 and over, feel lonely.

Social Isolation and Cities

The research also addressed the state of social isolation, which encompasses not only feeling lonely, but also individuals who do not meet with their families and surroundings and do not leave the house.

While the rate of feeling lonely rises up to 23% in Erzincan, it remained at 13.5% in Çankırı.

Social Disconnection in Metropolitan Cities

It was stated that a significant social disconnection is also experienced in metropolitan cities, and people's ties with their environments have weakened, especially in Istanbul and İzmir.

Prof. Dr. Şentürk stated that the feeling of feeling lonely decreases in individuals over the age of 85 even though they are lonely.

Healthcare Cost and Risks

It was recorded that more than half a million people in Turkey both feel lonely and are disconnected from their social environment.

It was emphasized that the health cost of the elderly exceeds 1.3 trillion TL and that individuals who never walk have a 13.5 times higher risk of being socially isolated.

Solution Proposals and Digitalization

Solution proposals include the creation of age-friendly cities and the increase of public spaces.

It was stated that when used correctly, the internet and digital technologies can reduce the social isolation of the elderly and that digital literacy should be supported.