The Ministry of Family and Social Services has introduced a new regulation titled “Regulation on Nursing Homes and Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Centers,” setting the primary admission age for nursing homes at 70 and above as part of a broader restructuring of elderly care services.
Details of the regulation, published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday under the headline “A new era in elderly care services,” were shared through the ministry’s social media account.
The ministry said the new framework aims to establish a more comprehensive and standardized elderly care system across all 81 provinces of Türkiye, while enabling more effective implementation of service models tailored to varying levels of care needs.
The statement noted that the changes are also designed to improve the efficient use of public resources and ensure faster, priority access to services for elderly individuals in need.
According to the ministry, the regulation reshapes the framework of elderly care services in line with evolving demographic and social needs, with revisions intended to make the existing system more efficient, sustainable and needs-oriented.
Under the updated rules, the main age requirement for admission to nursing homes has been set at 70 and above. Citizens between the ages of 60 and 70 will only be eligible for admission if they are partially or fully dependent on care.
The ministry also emphasized that a newly introduced “risk-based prioritization system” will allow elderly individuals facing neglect, abuse or lack of access to care services to receive faster and priority admission to institutional care.
The statement added that a “graded care model” has been developed based on individuals’ levels of need.
Within this framework, a four-stage service structure will be implemented, consisting of “independent living,” “supervised living,” “professionally supported care” and “advanced/intensive care” models.
The ministry also announced that the professional titles of “occupational therapist” and “gerontologist” have been formally incorporated into the service system, while staffing structures and job descriptions have been reorganized.
Standards related to the physical and technical infrastructure of care institutions have also been updated, with measures introduced to strengthen accessibility and safety.
The ministry stated that applicants deemed suitable will first be directed toward daytime care and active living models before institutional care, aiming to balance demand for residential care services.
In addition, retirement rest and care homes previously operated under the former Retirement Fund General Directorate and later transferred to the ministry have now been unified under a single structure through the new regulation.
