General Directorate of Services for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly participated in The European Group of Governmental Experts on Dementia Meeting organized online by Alzheimer Europe.
Alzheimer Europe is a non-governmental organization founded in Luxembourg in 1990, of which 37 European Alzheimer's organizations from 33 countries are members and that works to raise awareness about all types of dementia. Alzheimer Europe carries out studies and various activities to promote dementia awareness, care and research, especially within European Union institutions.
The European Group of Governmental Experts on Dementia Meeting, organized annually by Alzheimer Europe with the aim of making dementia a public health priority in Europe, was held online on 7 December 2021. Representatives of the World Health Organization, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), European Commission, Alzheimer Europe and state experts from 22 countries, 16 of which are members of the European Union, participated. In the meeting, to which Burcu AYHAN EKENCI from Department of Elderly Welfare attended, information about national dementia strategies and Alzheimer's plans, examples of good practice, and updates on important developments about dementia at the World Health Organization, European and national levels were discussed and shared.
EKENCİ who made a presentation on "2020-2030 Ageing Vision Document", which is one of the most important developments in the field of ageing in Turkey, and the "Dementia Care Model Report" prepared within the scope of the Ministry of Family and Social Services' Institutional Capacity Building in the Field of Social Inclusion Policies Project between 2015-2017, by giving information about the ageing profile in Turkey, mentioned the challenges and opportunities that ageing will bring for Turkey, which is in the process of demographic transformation.
In addition, within the scope of the presentation, which included health services and social services provided by different institutions and organizations for elderly individuals in our country, the elderly care policy and practices in our country were conveyed. Finally, within the scope of the “Dementia Care Model Report”, information on the care service model for individuals with dementia, which is recommended in accordance with the social structure of our country, was shared and the questions posed on this subject were answered.