We carried out “The Health and Psychosocial Support Project for Elderly and Physically Disabled Individuals” in partnership with CCP Japan with a grant form Japan Platform. Our psycho-social support team of 6 people consisting of psychologists, social workers and nurses conducted needs assessments in Büyükdalyan and Mimar Sinan Container Cities in Hatay and provided psycho-social support services. The health and well-being of elderly and physically disabled individuals were checked and regular follow-ups were ensured. Need for hygiene kits and medical supplies were identified and provided.
Workshop for psycho-social support teams
As part of the project we organised a workshop with the psycho-social support teams of Hatay Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services in a hotel in Mersin on 5-7 May 2024. The theme of the workshop was “Being Good Neighbors with the Elderly and Disabled in Container Cities.” The aim of the workshop was to increase the awareness of psycho-social support workers in Hatay towards the elderly and disabled in container cities, to improve their capacities, and to provide a practical guide to inform families, neighbors and other colleagues about assistance for the elderly and disabled. Another concern was to provide psycho-social support teams with basic tools to support their own well-being time and space and time to recover from the stress of working in the disaster zone. We received very positive feedback in the evaluation studies we conducted after the training.
The Workshop program:
- Are the communication and needs of the elderly and disabled different in crises? / Prof. Dr. Fahriye Oflaz
- Old Age and Forgetfulness / Prof. Dr. Kaynak Selekler
- Recognizing, Managing, Directing Neurocognitive Processes in the Elderly /Dr. Gülüstü Salur
- How to Maintain Our Wellbeing in the Field / Clinical Psk. Alagün Belce Bahşi and Clinical Psk. Bercem Gokturk Duru
- What we learned from the 65+ YHD Hatay Project/Project Field Team
- A Guide/Tool for Strengthening the Support Ecosystem: “On the Second Year of the Earthquake
- “How to Be a Good Neighbor to an Elderly or Disabled Camp Resident” Ferhat Boratav
- Well-being Toolbox Workshop
- Movement in Nature and Body Awareness Circle / Sevin Seda Güney
In the second stage of the project in June, the need assessment surveys were repeated and hygiene kits and medical supplies were provided. In addition to meeting these needs, our psychosocial support team organized awareness-raising/informative training sessions for people of all ages staying in container cities on how to be good neighbors with the elderly and disabled. Our team provided information about possible changes in the cognitive, psychological and health status of individuals in old age and demonstrated simple first aid interventions that can be applied in emergencies. We distributed the “Being Good Neighbors with the Elderly and People with Disabilities in Container Cities” booklets, which we produced as a basic guide, both to the people staying in container cities and to the teams working in the field, and ensured their widespread distribution.
