Sevilay Luiken-Dalli .

Area of work:
IMEAN provides culturally sensitive daycare, home guidance, and case management in dementia care. Our services have two directions: one focuses on supporting older adults from diverse cultural backgrounds and their families, and the other focuses on organizations. For organizations, we offer training, workshops, consultancy, and project support partnerships in developing and implementing culturally sensitive practices.

Specific field of expertise:
Our expertise lies in intercultural elderly care, dementia support, and cultural sensitivity in health and social services. We specialize in bridging the gap between care providers and diverse communities through inclusive communication, training, and co-creation of tailored care approaches.

Type of work:
We combine practical care delivery with professional development, research, and consultancy. IMEAN works directly with both individuals and institutions to promote equity, inclusion, and cultural competence within elderly care systems.

What does ENIEC mean to you or your work?

ENIEC represents an inspiring and supportive network that aligns closely with IMEAN’s mission. It offers opportunities to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and collaborate with professionals across Europe who are committed to inclusive and culturally sensitive elderly care. Being part of ENIEC strengthens our vision and connects us with a broader movement for equality in care.

More about Sevilay

I was born in Malatya, Turkey, the daughter of a first-generation guest worker. My father came to the Netherlands in the early 1970s to work in the textile industry, and two years later, his family joined him through family reunification. I grew up in a post-war neighbourhood where Dutch elderly people and Turkish labour migrants lived side by side—an environment that made me aware, from an early age, of themes such as migration, identity, and the sense of “falling between two stools.”

My entire career has been dedicated to care. From as early as 1994, I was involved in issues concerning the position of ageing migrants in the Netherlands, at a time when the urgency of culturally sensitive elderly care was barely acknowledged. While it was often assumed that guest workers would return to their countries of origin, I saw that many stayed and built their futures here. They became the roots of a tree whose children and grandchildren formed the branches.

Following the sudden death of my mother in 2011, I became a caregiver for my father. When it became clear that he was not suffering from severe depression but from dementia, I experienced first-hand how complex and inadequate the care system was for older people with a migrant background. A lack of appropriate diagnostic tools, insufficient knowledge of culture, religion, language and rituals, and the absence of suitable care facilities—all of this confirmed my mission.

In 2018, I founded IMEAN, an organisation specialised in culturally sensitive care for older adults, with and without dementia. With a professional team, IMEAN is committed to providing high-quality, innovative, and distinctive care that meets the wishes and expectations of elderly people with a migrant background. My dream is to create a culturally sensitive living environment where identity, faith, language and traditions are central.