How to check on elderly parents in Türkiye when you live abroad

For families in Germany, the Netherlands and beyond with a parent in Türkiye: a daily WhatsApp check-in in Turkish, 112 and a local circle.

By the Athnova Care team · Updated 2026-10-13

Why families abroad worry about parents in Türkiye

Around three million people with roots in Türkiye live in Germany alone, and many more in the Netherlands, Austria, France and the UK. Many of their parents went back to Türkiye in retirement, or never left — and see their children once or twice a year.

A short daily check-in tells you your parent is up and well, and makes sure someone acts on the day they do not answer.

A daily check-in in Turkish, on WhatsApp

Every morning, at the time you choose on their clock, your parent gets one WhatsApp message in Turkish: did they take their morning medicines? They tap a button — "yes", "not yet" or "please call me" — and you see the answer in the family app.

Nothing to install and no password: the message arrives on the WhatsApp they already use, from a contact called Athnova Care. They can also send a photo of a blood-pressure reading, a prescription or a report at any time.

If the morning message is not answered, a reminder follows about three hours later. Our follow-up phone call does not reach Türkiye yet, so if the reminder also goes unanswered you are alerted straight away, and then the neighbour or relative you chose is asked to check.

Emergency numbers in Türkiye

Save these in your own phone and in your parent's, and on the fridge. Messages from Athnova Care quote this number when your parent says they are unwell, and so does their emergency card.

Number	What it is for
112	All emergencies — ambulance, police, fire

We are not an emergency service. In an emergency, your parent or the person with them should call the local number first.

Build a local circle before you need it

Agree a circle of two or three people near the house: a neighbour, a relative in the same town, the muhtar or someone from the mosque who knows your parent. Save their numbers in the app so they are asked to look in if your parent goes quiet.

Write the address the way an ambulance crew needs it — mahalle, street, building and flat number, and a landmark — and put it on the emergency card.

Doctors, hospitals and medicines

Every resident is registered with a family doctor (aile hekimi), the first point of contact; write the doctor and the health centre on the emergency card. e-Nabız, the national personal health record, shows your parent’s test results and prescriptions.

Put the nearest hospital with an emergency department (acil servis) on the card too.

The time difference

Türkiye is on UTC+3 all year: it stopped changing the clocks in 2016. It is two hours ahead of Germany in winter and one hour in summer, and three hours ahead of the UK in winter and two in summer.

What Athnova Care does and does not do in Türkiye

Daily WhatsApp check-in in Turkish or English, with the reply in your app.
An alert to you when they go quiet (the follow-up phone call does not reach Türkiye yet).
Alerts to the whole family, then to the neighbour or relative you chose.
An emergency card with their address, medicines, allergies, doctor and contacts, ready to share with a hospital.
Medicine reminders, readings and reports kept in one place for the doctor.
Not offered there: lab tests and medicine refills, which we arrange in India only.

Questions families ask

Is the check-in in Turkish?

Yes. The daily message, its buttons and the reminder are in Turkish, written with "siz", as one speaks to an elder. Replies typed in Turkish are understood.

What is the emergency number in Türkiye?

112, for ambulance, police and fire: Türkiye brought its emergency numbers together under 112.

I live in Germany and my mother lives in İzmir. Does it work?

Yes. You use the family app wherever you live; your mother gets the message on her own WhatsApp in Türkiye, and the messages quote 112, the number there.

Is there a phone call if they do not reply?

The follow-up call does not reach Türkiye yet, so if the message and the reminder go unanswered we alert you and your local circle straight away.

Athnova Care tracks and coordinates care. It does not diagnose, prescribe or replace a doctor. In a medical emergency in Türkiye call 112.