In collaboration with Üsküdar Üniversitesi Institute of Social Sciences, the Turkish Alzheimer Association Kadıköy Branch, and Kadıköy Municipality Alzheimer Center, a ‘Moral Support for Alzheimer's Fight: New Year's Concert’ was held. The concert aimed to both raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease and support the caregivers, who are the true decision-makers in this process. Lecturer Sare Uçar and her team from Üsküdar Üniversitesi Clinical Psychology Master's Program performed the New Year's concert.
The New Year's concert, held at the Kozyatağı Cultural Center Gönül Ülkü-Gazanfer Özcan stage, attracted significant interest. Lecturer İdil Arasan Doğan from Üsküdar Üniversitesi Institute of Social Sciences Psychology Doctorate Program also attended the concert.
Lecturer İdil Arasan Doğan: “The thought that someone understands me is very precious…”
Lecturer İdil Arasan Doğan from Üsküdar Üniversitesi Institute of Social Sciences Psychology Doctorate Program stated at the concert that Alzheimer's is an important disease for both the world and our country. Doğan said; “In the near future, almost over 55 million people will have Alzheimer's disease. We have started to see it in our families, relatives, and acquaintances, and it seems set to continue. The disease begins very insidiously. By the time a diagnosis is made, it is often already a mid-stage or late diagnosis. The social responsibility projects we have initiated aim to provide psychological support, raise awareness about the disease, and support the patient's relatives who are the real decision-makers during this process. Being able to meet at a common point, the thought that ‘someone understands me’ is very valuable. Therefore, ensuring the well-being of the patient's relative, who is the real decision-maker, is also very important. You see that some values and virtues are still alive. The purpose of this concert is to emphasize awareness and to say that we are here in every sense. I have hope that we can instill the idea in our patient's relatives, especially, that ‘there are people who live this process with us, understand us, and are by our side.’”
Clinical Psychologist Sare Uçar: “One of the activities that should happen every week…”
Lecturer Sare Uçar from Üsküdar Üniversitesi Clinical Psychology Master's Program spoke about providing support to people with Alzheimer's and their relatives. Uçar said; “We provide both psychological and physiological support to the relatives of patients suffering from this disease. In terms of supporting the patients and their relatives, this is one of the activities that should happen every week.”
Hakan Yılmaztürk: “We aim to bring a smile to the faces of patients and their relatives”
Hakan Yılmaztürk from Clinical Psychologist Sare Uçar’s team gave a speech at the organized concert. Yılmaztürk said; “I am one of those who believe that there should be more sensitivity towards people with special needs of this kind. There is something I believe in: ‘The healing power of music.’ There is a concept we call music therapy from before. I am someone who believes in the power of frequencies. We aim to bring at least a small smile to the faces of patients and their relatives.”
Lecturer İdil Arasan Doğan also stated that a music-focused therapy project would be carried out soon and that the healing power of music, with its positive effects on mental processes, has been proven in literature.
Alzheimer Patients Gathered at the New Year's Concert
Following the conclusion of the speeches, Lecturer Sare Uçar and her team from Üsküdar Üniversitesi Clinical Psychology Master's Program met with people with Alzheimer's disease and their relatives as part of the New Year's concert. The concert attracted significant interest.
