Near East University and the Association for Elderly Rights and Mental Health have joined forces to sign a meaningful cooperation protocol during Respect for the Elderly Week. Within the scope of the protocol, cooperation will be made in areas such as education, health, and legal support in order to protect the rights of elderly individuals and improve their quality of life, while scientific studies focusing on elderly rights will also be conducted.
The protocol, which entered into force with the signatures of Near East University President Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ and Elderly Rights and Mental Health Association Board of Directors Chair Prof. Dr. Hatice Jenkins, aims to implement various projects to protect the rights of elderly individuals, make them more active in social life and support their mental health.
At the signing ceremony held at Near East University, Prof. Dr. Hatice Jenkins was accompanied by Elderly Rights and Mental Health Association Vice President Semral Erel and Board Member Fatman Gürmanoğlu; while Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ was accompanied by Near East University Faculty of Dentistry Dean Prof. Dr. Mutahhar Ulusoy, Faculty of Medicine Dean Prof. Dr. Gamze Mocan, Faculty of Health Sciences Dean Prof. Dr. Adile Öniz, Faculty of Nursing Dean Prof. Dr. Ümran Dal Yılmaz and Faculty of Law Vice Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. Perçem Arman.
Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ: “We aim to ensure that elderly individuals feel stronger and safer through multidisciplinary projects that we will develop within a wide framework from education to health, from legal support to mental health.”
“We will continue to support every effort to improve the rights of the elderly with a sense of social responsibility,” said Near East University Rector Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ, adding, “This cooperation protocol we signed during the Respect for the Elderly Week is an important step in terms of implementing scientific studies and projects for the society. We aim to ensure that elderly individuals feel stronger and safer with multidisciplinary projects that we will develop within a wide framework from education to health, from legal support to mental health.”
Reminding that the only “60+ Age Refreshing University” in the country is operating within the University of Kyrenia, Prof. Dr. Şanlıdağ said, “As the Near East University, we will continue to provide all kinds of support to the 60+ Age Refreshing University in cooperation with the University of Kyrenia.”
Prof. Dr. Hatice Jenkins: “We are an aging society, but we cannot find adequate services even though we have the financial resources.”
Prof. Dr. Hatice Jenkins, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association for Elderly Rights and Mental Health, drew attention to the importance of cooperation in developing services for the elderly, saying, “We are an aging society, but despite having financial resources, we cannot find adequate services.” Prof. Dr. Hatice Jenkins said that the cooperation protocol they signed with the Near East University was very important to them, especially in this respect.
Emphasizing that legal regulations in the field of health are also critical, Prof. Dr. Jenkins said that the Nursing Home Law, which is expected to be discussed in the Republican Assembly, should be revised with common sense and passed as soon as possible. “We must create regulations based on solid foundations and applicable in light of scientific data. When preparing laws, the unique dynamics of our country should also be taken into consideration. At this point, scientific research and projects to be carried out with the support of Near East University are also of great importance to us,” he said.
