Assoc. Prof. Dr. \u00d6mer \u015eevgin emphasized that housing design and urban planning tailored to the care needs, daily activities, and self-sufficiency of older adults living alone have become essential: \u201cBy building age-friendly cities, we can improve our elders\u2019 quality of life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Noting that ergonomic arrangements are vital in an \u201cage-friendly\u201d home, Dr. \u015eevgin added: \u201cWith advancing technology, smart-home systems provide highly important functions for older individuals and make life easier.\u201d<\/p>\n
Assoc. Prof. Dr. \u00d6mer \u015eevgin, Chair of \u00dcsk\u00fcdar University\u2019s Healthy Aging Working Group and faculty member in the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, addressed the topics of seniors living alone and \u201cage-friendly homes.\u201d<\/p>\n
One in Five Older Adults Is Chronically Lonely<\/strong><\/p>\n Dr. \u015eevgin noted that loneliness\u2014beyond physical isolation\u2014can also be defined as a mental \u201csense of being cut off\u201d: \u201cLoneliness is common among older people and affects nearly one in three. Moreover, one in five older adults is classified as chronically lonely. As in the rest of the world, the elderly population in T\u00fcrkiye is on the rise. In the past year, older adults have exceeded 10% of our total population, and they are increasingly living alone. Drivers include weakening family ties, the death of a spouse, rising divorce rates, declines in the desire to have children, socioeconomic factors, and younger generations\u2019 preference for individual, independent living. We must develop strategies for older people who are becoming isolated due to these and similar factors.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAge-Friendly Cities\u201d Have Become a Requirement<\/strong><\/p>\n Highlighting the urgency of housing and urban planning for older adults\u2019 care, in-home activities, and self-reliance, Dr. \u015eevgin continued: Home Accidents Are Among the Biggest Threats to Seniors<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe most frequent accidents in older adults occur at home,\u201d Dr. \u015eevgin said. \u201cFalls, collisions, and injuries with sharp kitchen tools are the most common. Bathrooms, toilets, and stairs top the list of locations. Falls most often occur at night or in the early morning.\u201d<\/p>\n Designing Homes for Seniors Prevents Many Accidents and Injuries<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe most effective way to prevent accidents is taking precautions\u2014and that doesn\u2019t change for older adults,\u201d he noted. \u201cDesigning the home to suit seniors can prevent many accidents and injuries. Examples include using non-slip mats on slick floors; removing rugs unless necessary (and if used, choosing very thin ones); installing wall-mounted handrails in corridors; adding motion-sensor lights in corridors and bedrooms; and applying non-slip materials to stair treads. When buying a new home, check for adequate daylight, a floor that isn\u2019t excessively high, and the presence of an elevator.\u201d<\/p>\n Ergonomics and Smart-Home Systems Boost Quality of Life<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cErgonomic arrangements are crucial in an age-friendly home,\u201d Dr. \u015eevgin said. \u201cThese include counter heights suited to the user, toilet heights adjusted to the person, threshold-free doorways, and glare-free lighting in a daylight tone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith advancing technology, smart-home systems offer major advantages for older adults,\u201d he added. \u201cExamples include odor and smoke detectors, smart camera systems, reminder alarms, smart robotic devices (vacuum, oven, TV), and lighting.\u201d<\/p>\n Mental health cannot be separated from one\u2019s living environment, Dr. \u015eevgin stressed: \u201cA bright, airy home; light-colored walls; and portraits on the wall that evoke memories can help older adults feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n The Desire to Live Independently Depends on Health<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cTo realize the desire for independent living, one must first be healthy\u2014physically, psychologically, and cognitively,\u201d Dr. \u015eevgin said. \u201cAt least 150 minutes of physical activity per week is essential. Walking, light exercises, and using park equipment are all options. Socializing\u2014meeting friends, strolling through markets\u2014is vital for mental health. Solving puzzles, playing with grandchildren, and tending gardens also have very positive effects. Doing\u2014or trying to do\u2014all these activities supports good health, which in turn enables independent living and minimizes the need for care.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Assoc. Prof. Dr. \u00d6mer \u015eevgin emphasized that housing design and urban planning tailored to the care needs, daily activities, and self-sufficiency of older adults living alone have become essential: \u201cBy building age-friendly cities, we can improve our elders\u2019 quality of life,\u201d he said. Noting that ergonomic arrangements are vital in an \u201cage-friendly\u201d home, Dr. \u015eevgin […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":53334,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2014,254,179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buildings","category-headline-news","category-journal"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/orsiad.com.tr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1759908600_mer___evgin.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orsiad.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orsiad.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orsiad.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orsiad.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orsiad.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53336"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/orsiad.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53337,"href":"https:\/\/orsiad.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53336\/revisions\/53337"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orsiad.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orsiad.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orsiad.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orsiad.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\u201cBy building age-friendly cities, we can raise our elders\u2019 quality of life. Likewise, preferring low-rise over high-rise development and enabling nature-integrated living will positively affect living standards for all of us. Urban planning should include wide, even, non-slip sidewalks; sensor-based traffic lights; curbside safety barriers; and elevators on pedestrian overpasses.\u201d<\/p>\n