IV. TURYAK INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON “LONGEVITY”
Health Services for the Aged: Geriatric Social Work*
Life quality of elderly is a subjective perception of their health in which socio-cultural
environment elderly live in. Quality of health care that they are getting the benefit and
quantity is an important factor for determining the level of older individuals in health
perception. The health services for the elderly varies in the world. Geriatric health care
services which are located within the general health services that are offered in Turkey,
though not yet reached the level of service in the World, but are spreading stage in our
country. Geriatric services that focus on the health of the elderly is based on an
understanding interdisciplinary study. Geriatric social worker is a member of the
interdisciplinary geriatric team. Today in the hospitals the role of social worker, who
are working in medical social work field, now evident and social workers can work in
all areas of the health care system. Geriatric social work field is a sub-field of medical
social services such as oncologic social work, pediatric social work and etc. It is aimed
with this study that, to constitute awareness of the geriatric social work and geriatric
social workers. who are working in elderly geriatric service system which is improving
the life quality of elderly.
Key Words: Life Quality, Health Services, Medical Social Work, Geriatrics, Geriatric
Social Work
*Assoc. Prof. Bilge ÖNAL DÖLEK. International Cyprus University Social Work
Department Teaching Staff