Abstract

The rapid increase in the rate of the elderly population has especially become clear during the last 20 years. Within the overall population, the rate of the elderly population is 11.4% on average in developed countries, and 3.9% in developing countries. According to the population projections, it seems that Turkey's demographic structure will resemble that of the developed countries' in ten years’ time between 2015 and 2025. Participation of the elderly in social and physical activities can help to improve their life expectations and happiness. Facilities should be built to accommodate the needs of the elderly enabling them to spend a good time so that they can have a healthy and positive relationship with themselves, their close environment and society. If elderly people are happy, they can be of great benefit to their families and communities. This study aims to investigate elderly people’s contributions to different activities according to different age groups in Istanbul. These age groups are defined as the “young old” between 65 and 74, the “old” between 75 and 84, and the “oldest old” aged 85+. Kadikoy, Bakirkoy, and Besiktas districts have been selected as study fields, and a total of 410 surveys have been conducted. The reason why these districts were selected is the rate of the elderly population in the related areas, which is twice as much as the average of Istanbul. At the end of the research, the social and physical requirements and expectations of the elderly will be determined.