In recent years, elderly care in Israel has become a significant challenge for the society. With increasing life expectancy and a growing elderly population, many families face the difficult question: home care or nursing home? This article aims to provide comprehensive information and assist in making an informed decision.
Current Situation for Elderly Care in Israel:
As of 2023, approximately 12% of Israel’s population is 65 years or older, and this number is expected to grow to 14% by 2030. This reality poses significant challenges to the healthcare and welfare systems.
The Dilemma in Elderly Care in Israel: Home vs. Institution
On one hand, the desire to keep our loved ones in the familiar environment of their home is natural and understandable. On the other hand, the need for 24/7 professional care and the desire to ensure their safety can lead to considering other options.
Challenges of Home Care
High costs: Hiring a 24/7 caregiver can be very expensive, especially in a market where demand far exceeds supply.
Caregiver shortage: There is a growing shortage of professional caregivers, especially foreign workers. The quality of caregivers is decreasing while their demands are increasing.
Caregiver turnover: Often, due to the difficulties in caregiving, caregivers leave and sometimes even flee.
Family burden: Even with a full-time caregiver, the family still bears a significant burden of managing events between the caregiver and the elderly person.
Loneliness: Often, the elderly person remains lonely at home without sufficient social interaction.
Language and cultural barriers: With foreign caregivers, communication and cultural gaps can arise.
Advantages of Modern Nursing Homes
24/7 professional care: Medical and nursing staff always available.
Social activities: Daily enrichment programs and social interactions.
Adapted infrastructure: Buildings and facilities tailored to the needs of the elderly.
Peace of mind for the family: Knowing that your loved one is well cared for and safe.
Additional services: Tailored meals, laundry services, cleaning, and more.
Intermediate Solution: Assisted Living and Early Transition
One of the currently recommended strategies is an early transition to assisted living, at ages 70-75, when the elderly person is still relatively healthy. The advantages include:
Gradual adaptation: Allows the elderly to adapt to the new environment gradually and move from one framework to another according to physical and cognitive deterioration.
Informed choice: The elderly can actively participate in choosing the right place for them. The selection process is done thoughtfully and without pressure.
Long-term planning: Allows for gradual adjustment of care level over the years.
Creating social connections: Opportunity to form new relationships in a supportive environment.
Example of Elderly Care in Israel: Successful Transition to a Nursing Home
Let’s describe the case of Jacob and Rachel, a couple in their 75s. In the past two years, they began to face health challenges: Jacob was diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson’s disease, and Rachel suffered from heart problems. They lived far from their children, and the decision to move to a nursing home was made after an in-depth family discussion and examination of alternatives.
The family decided to seek professional guidance and event management services from “HappySeniors,” and received help from a social worker specializing in geriatrics. The social worker’s contribution was significant and multidimensional:
Reducing anxiety: Through individual and group conversations, the social worker helped alleviate concerns and reduce anxiety levels for all family members.
Bureaucratic navigation: She led the complex process of obtaining a code from the National Insurance Institute and other authorities, saving the family valuable time and unnecessary frustration.
Mapping options: The social worker conducted comprehensive research and provided a personalized list of quality nursing homes near the family’s residence.
Guided tours: She accompanied the family on visits to various nursing homes, providing professional insights and asking critical questions that the family hadn’t thought of.
Mediation and decision-making: The social worker helped bridge opinion gaps within the family and led to a joint and informed decision.
Transition support: After selecting the nursing home, she was responsible for planning and executing the move, including coordination with the nursing home staff and ensuring a smooth reception.
This service from “HappySeniors” proved to be significant for the family, turning the complex and sensitive process of transitioning to a nursing home into a managed and supportive experience.
The move was carefully planned, including designing the new room to resemble their old home. After a year, Jacob and Rachel reported an improvement in their quality of life, enjoying the available medical care, social activities, and proximity to their children.
How to Make the Right Decision?
Needs assessment: Examine the medical, social, and emotional needs of your loved one.
Open conversation: Talk to your loved ones about their wishes and concerns.
Site visits: Visit nursing homes and assisted living facilities to get a personal impression.
Professional consultation: Talk to professionals in the field of geriatrics.
Consider costs: Examine the financial aspects of each option.
Dealing with Guilt
Many feel guilty when considering moving their loved ones to a nursing home. It’s important to remember:
You’re doing your best for your loved one.
Modern nursing homes provide professional and quality care.
The transition can improve the quality of life for your loved one and you.
Summary of Elderly Care in Israel
The decision between home care and a nursing home is complex and personal. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. However, with comprehensive information, early planning, and professional support, it’s possible to make a decision that benefits all parties.
HappySeniors Services:
HappySeniors offers a wide range of services that assist elderly people living at home and their families. Services include help in finding suitable nursing caregivers, managing medical follow-ups and personal care, and support in dealing with daily challenges.
The company also offers technological solutions that allow the elderly to stay in touch with their family members and enjoy community support, all aimed at improving their quality of life and allowing them to age in a familiar and comfortable environment. The company helps the elderly enjoy maximum support and advanced technology, thereby significantly improving their quality of life.
Israel, like many countries worldwide, faces a significant challenge: the aging of its population. Those challenge of optimal aging in Israel, are not just a demographic issue, but also a social, economic, and health challenge of the highest order. In 2021, the Israeli government made an important decision (Government Decision 127) outlining the way to address this challenge, with an emphasis on optimal aging. This article will review the current situation, the challenges we face, and the strategies Israel is adopting to ensure a better future for its elderly citizens.
Current Situation
Demographic Overview According to current data, the elderly population in the world currently constitutes about 10% of the total world population. However, projections indicate that by 2050, the proportion of those aged 65 and over will rise to about 17% of the world’s population. In Israel, the picture is even more dramatic: within 50 years, the elderly population is expected to grow from about one million to about three million.
Characteristics of Optimal Aging in Israel
Studies show that about 80% of the elderly in Israel function at a high level, while 17% are in significant functional decline. Another interesting statistic is that 98% of the elderly live in the community, and only 2% in institutions.
The Health and Functioning Challenge
One of the central challenges in population aging is maintaining health and function. While life expectancy in Israel is among the highest in the world, the gap between life expectancy and healthy life years is growing.
Basic Assumptions for Addressing the Aging Challenge
To address the aging challenge, Israel has adopted several basic assumptions, including a holistic view, shared responsibility between the individual and the state, a common language, and an emphasis on prevention.
National Metrics Map for Optimal Aging
One of the central tools developed to deal with the aging challenge is the National Metrics Map for Optimal Aging. This map includes metrics in various areas such as quality of life and loneliness, healthy life years, functioning, economic resilience, health management, healthy lifestyle, active lifestyle, and digital literacy.
Government Decision 127
A Significant Step Forward In 2021, the Israeli government adopted Decision 127, which marks a significant milestone in dealing with the aging challenge. The decision includes several key components, including adopting the National Metrics Map for Optimal Aging and publishing a national report on the state of optimal aging in Israel every two years.
Strategies for Dealing with the Aging Challenge
Based on the data and insights that emerge from the metrics map and the national report, Israel is developing several central strategies to deal with the aging challenge. These include focusing on prevention, promoting a healthy lifestyle, strengthening social connections, economic preparation for old age, integrating technology, adapting the health system, and age-friendly urban planning.
The Budgetary Challenge
One of the significant challenges in dealing with population aging is the budgetary challenge. However, studies show that investing in prevention and early intervention programs can save many resources in the long run.
Inter-sectoral Collaboration
Dealing with the aging challenge requires cooperation between different sectors of society, including government ministries, local authorities, civil society organizations, the business sector, and academia.
Unique Challenges in Israel
While the aging challenge is global, Israel faces several unique challenges, including cultural diversity, geographical gaps, immigration, and security issues.
Innovation and Technology
Israel, known as the “Start-up Nation,” is also leveraging its technological capabilities in the field of aging. Innovative technological developments include home monitoring systems, adapted social platforms, technologies for cognitive improvement, and assistive robotics.
Preparing for the Future
One of the central issues in the concept of optimal aging is preparing for the future. This includes financial planning, career planning, healthy lifestyle, and housing planning.
Summary and Future Outlook
The challenge of optimal aging in Israel is complex and multidimensional. It requires rethinking the concept of old age, the place of the elderly in society, and the shared responsibility of the individual and society in ensuring a good quality of life in old age. The success in dealing with this challenge will be measured not only in numbers and statistics but also – and perhaps mainly – in the quality of life of the elderly in Israel, their integration into society, and their sense of value and meaning.
Happy Seniors Services
Happy Seniors offers a wide range of services to help elderly people living at home and their families. The services include assistance in finding suitable nursing caregivers, managing medical monitoring and personal care, and supporting daily challenges. The company also offers technological solutions that allow the elderly to stay connected with their families and enjoy community support, all with the goal of improving their quality of life and allowing them to age in a familiar and comfortable environment. Happy Seniors helps the elderly enjoy maximum support and advanced technology, thereby significantly improving their quality of life.
Welcome to HappySeniors! We’re your trusted platform for senior care services, providing unparalleled support to senior citizens, their families, and offering valuable employment opportunities for professionals in the senior care industry. In this guide, we’ll walk you through our employment job board, helping you find the best candidates for your senior care roles.
If you’re an employer in the senior care industry, or seeking employment opportunities in social work, caregiving, nursing, and related fields, you’ve come to the right place. HappySeniors facilitates the best matchmaking process for you. Our job board allows employers to find the best candidates by posting jobs and letting our recruitment team identify the ideal candidates.
Why Choose HappySeniors?
Unlike other job-seeking websites, HappySeniors is dedicated to senior care, health, and rehabilitation. This means our recruitment team is highly professional in finding the best employees for your business – whether it be social workers, nurses, physicians, caregivers, or nursing home managers.
Creating an Account and Posting a Job
In this session, we’ll guide employers on how to create a new account and post their first job. As an employer, you can post jobs on our job board, which will be seen by thousands of candidates. Our recruitment team will handpick the right candidates for your role and send you their details.
You have two methods to post a job: the best one is to become a registered user by opening an account at HappySeniors. This process is free and gives you higher priority in the matchmaking process over unregistered users.
To open an account, go to our employment job board and click on “Employer Registration”. You’ll need to provide your email address, full name, phone number, and create a password.
Terms and Conditions
Please read the terms and services on our website. The process of finding employees for open positions is free, but once we find the right person for you and they begin working, you will need to pay a placement fee for each position.
Completing Your Profile
Next, fill in your contact person information—usually the HR manager. Our team will be in contact with this person throughout the matchmaking process. Finally, provide your company details—company name, website, and location. You can add an additional contact person and upload your company logo.
After completing your registration, you’ll be directed to your account page where you can manage your company settings, such as password and profile details.
Posting a Job
Let’s move on to creating a new job post. Click on “Add Job”. Type the position name and work address. Note that some information will remain private and be used by our recruitment team. You can assign a recruiter to handle the communication with our team or stay with your default choice.
In the next step, provide the basic information about the new position: position status, category, experience level, work location, and position type. Also, include the salary or hourly rate and any signup bonus (optional).
Detailed Job Information
This is the main stage of the recruitment process. Provide detailed information on the position description, responsibilities, and requirements. You can also add information about benefits or other details. You can add questions for potential candidates to help evaluate their fit for the position. We recommend adding no more than three questions. These can be multiple-choice, open-ended, or yes/no questions.
For example: “Which types of senior care facilities have you worked in the past?”
Once you’ve added all the information, submit the job post. It will be pending approval by our recruitment team.
Managing Your Job Posts
After approval, go to “My Account” and refresh the position. The job will now be published. You can track how many applicants have applied and cancel the posting once the position is filled. Our recruitment team will offer you the best applicants for the position. Only registered users have personal accounts to manage their jobs.
Posting a Job Without Registration
You can post a job without opening an account, but this is only advisable if you don’t plan to use the job board regularly. Go to the job board as a non-registered user and click “Post a Job Without Registration”. Fill out the required fields and post the job. Note that this job is posted anonymously, so you won’t be able to manage it as if you were a registered user.
That’s it for today. Thank you for staying with me. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Be happy with HappySeniors, and see you in our next lesson.
Welcome to HappySeniors, your trusted platform for senior care services, offering unparalleled support to senior citizens, their families, and providing valuable employment opportunities for professionals in the senior care industry. My name is [Your Name], and in today’s session, I’m excited to introduce you to our Caregiver Employment Board.
The purpose of our job board is to seamlessly connect families in need of caregiving solutions for their senior loved ones with professional caregivers seeking full-time, part-time, or temporary relive positions in senior homes.
Overview of the Job Board
Let’s dive into how the job board works. The job board features detailed listings created by families looking for caregivers. Each listing includes essential information about the senior, such as age, gender, status, and residence.
For Caregivers
Filtering Listings: If you are a caregiver, here’s how you can use our platform to find your ideal job. First, you can filter the job listings based on your preferences, such as location and gender of the senior.
Detailed Information: By clicking on a listing, you will access comprehensive details about the senior, including their capabilities and needs, such as whether they can shower, eat, or walk independently.
Apply for a Position: To apply for a job, you can create an account or log into an existing one. Registered users receive priority in the application process. Moreover, you only need to enter your details once, saving you valuable time.
Complete Your Application: During the application process, you must fill out all required fields, including personal details, employment history, areas of expertise, and recommendations. Providing a strong recommendation letter significantly boosts your chances of securing a job.
Post-Application Process: After submitting your application, our recruitment team will review it and contact you to discuss the position further. Remember, registered caregivers enjoy a faster and more streamlined process, increasing your chances of getting hired.
For Families
Register or Post a Job: Now, let’s talk about how families can use our job board to find the best caregivers for their loved ones. You have the option to register on our job board, which is free and offers numerous benefits, including better management of the caregiving process and becoming part of the HappySeniors community. Alternatively, you can post a job without registration.
Provide Detailed Information: Start by entering your personal details and information about the senior. Uploading a photo of the senior is optional.
Describe the Senior’s Condition: Clearly describe the senior’s condition, including their mobility, cognitive and physical health, sleeping habits, and living environment. This information is crucial for matching the senior with the right caregiver.
Specify Care Needs: Outline the activities the caregiver will need to perform and what the senior can or cannot do.
Social Security Details: Indicate the senior’s entitlement to social security hours and whether you prefer direct employment or hiring through a nursing company. This information affects the financial aspects of caregiving.
Living Arrangements: Mention whether the senior lives alone or with others, as this can impact the caregiving requirements.
Location and Assistance: Provide the senior’s residence details and specify if any additional social assistance is needed.
Budget: Clearly state your budget for caregiving services to ensure a transparent and effective matchmaking process.
Submit Application: Once you submit the application, our team will review it and get back to you promptly. Providing accurate and comprehensive information increases your chances of finding the perfect caregiver match.
Remember, registering and posting jobs on our platform is currently free of charge.
Be happy with HappySeniors. Thank you for watching, and see you in our next session.
Welcome to ‘HappySeniors’, the senior care platform created from the passion and professionalism of Irit Rabinovich, a social worker with a master’s degree in rehabilitation and health. Irit’s vision is to empower families and caregivers by enriching them with knowledge and tools that will improve the quality of life for seniors and their families.
Join me, Avidor Rabinovich, for a tour of our website. We’ll start with the homepage, which serves as a gateway to all our resources and services. Here you will find easy and quick access to everything you need.
In the ‘Senior Care Services’ section, we offer a variety of solutions tailored to seniors and their families. Our services include professional consultation, customized and comprehensive care planning, and guidance to find the most suitable care environment.
If you need a caregiver or you are a caregiver looking for work, our ‘Caregiver Board’ connects families with professional caregivers. Here you can post a job ad or apply for various roles and find the perfect match for every need.
On our ‘Employment Board’, professionals in senior care can find or post jobs. We serve employers looking for certified and professional workers, such as social workers, nurses, and doctors, as well as job seekers wanting to contribute to the lives of seniors.
Do not hesitate to return to our homepage for easier navigation on the site. Subscribe to our blog to receive up-to-date and in-depth information on senior care, and contact us for more information or questions.
Thank you for joining me today.
In the next video, I will teach you how to use our caregiver board and show you how easy it is to make connections and find the right solutions for care.
Until then, take care of yourselves and be happy with ‘HappySeniors’!
Yehuda, an 84-year-old elderly man who has a son and two daughters, drew up a lasting power of attorney about six months ago and according to his detailed instructions, he stated that he wished to continue living in his home, and that he wished to go once a week to eat ice cream at the beach in Nahariya, and he also requested that none of his children be placed in a nursing home .
Yehuda knew that when he was clear and aware of his actions, his instructions as he gave them would be carried out in practice one by one and therefore he asked to appoint his eldest daughter to take care of his affairs when the day came when he became incompetent to make decisions, the continuing power of attorney was entrusted to the general guardian at the Ministry of Justice.
In the last month Yehuda felt severe confusion and an inability to concentrate and had to rest in his bed for many days and his children began a ritual of advice regarding his matter, while different options were brought up by each of his children.
The son Atz ran to him and took one of the most expensive lawyers that could be obtained, in order to submit a request to be appointed as guardian for his father and so that he could make decisions for him, while the younger daughter turned to a neighbor who lives one floor above her and is a lawyer with an independent office, in order to appoint the younger daughter as guardian on her father and you can make decisions on his behalf.
When the lawyers submitted their requests to the court, the secretary of the court typed the father’s identity card into the general guardian’s database and there it was discovered that there is a lasting power of attorney that was entrusted with clear instructions from the father on how to behave with him and that according to his wishes the eldest daughter is the one who is appointed as his guardian.
The other children’s protests didn’t help, the ongoing power of attorney overrides their current requests and the father’s will, as determined six months ago, is fully complied with.
What is a durable power of attorney?
A durable power of attorney is a legal document that allows any adult (over the age of 18) to determine how and by whom his affairs will be handled in the future when he is unable to handle it himself, provided he understands the meaning, goals and results of granting the durable power of attorney.
The person (called the “appointee”) chooses of his own free will at the stage when he understands and is able to make decisions and carry out who will take care of his affairs and how his life will look if and when his condition changes for the worse (deterioration in his condition). Deterioration in his condition can result from an accident, diseases of old age (such as dementia), mental disabilities and intellectual disabilities that may impair a person’s judgment.
The way to do this is by appointing a proxy who will be authorized to act on behalf of that person in the future when he will no longer be able to make or carry out decisions concerning us himself.
The appointer can give a continuing power of attorney for all of his personal (including medical) and property matters or only some of them.
The power of attorney must act according to the instructions of the appointer, he must sign and confirm in writing before a lawyer (or before a professional in medical power of attorney) his agreement to the content of the continuing power of attorney, including the preliminary instructions included therein. In cases where the directive is impossible to carry out, illegal or when its execution will cause serious damage to it – the power of attorney must not act on it. In such a case, he can turn to the court and ask him to give instructions on how to act
A person can decide on the appointment of a single power of attorney as well as on the appointment of a replacement power of attorney in case the first power of attorney is unwilling or unable to act on his behalf. He can also appoint a number of proxies. It is possible and appropriate to determine whether the powers-that-be will act jointly or separately, what is the extent of the powers and responsibilities of each of them, as well as who will decide in the event of a dispute between them.
In order for the continuing power of attorney to take effect, there is no obligation for the person to lose his legal capacity, but it is certainly possible to establish that the continuing power of attorney will also be valid in this situation, and then the power of attorney’s entry into office can be done instead of appointing a guardian in the specific matters defined in the continuing power of attorney.
A person who wishes to set instructions in advance in the event that it is necessary to appoint a guardian for him, can draw up a document giving advance instructions, in which he can, for example, determine in advance who will be his guardian in the future (if necessary), as well as detail future decisions that will be made on his behalf or actions that will be taken on his behalf by the guardian appointed for him.
Below are some examples of instructions that can be given:
*The author of the power of attorney can determine within his personal medical affairs the type/identity of his preferred therapist.
*The author of the power of attorney can determine as part of his personal affairs that his place of residence in the future will be his home, and that the transition to an out-of-home arrangement will be made only under certain circumstances.
*The attorney of power can determine as part of handling his property affairs that the attorney will sell or rent his house under certain circumstances or instruct him to invest his money in a certain way.
Points to note:
From the date of entry into force of a continuing power of attorney, the person’s relatives and the “informed person” are entitled to receive information about the deposit of the power of attorney, the identity of the power of attorney and the “informed person” and the types of matters for which the power of attorney was given – unless the person in the continuing power of attorney limited the their eligibility.
From the date of the deposit of the continuing power of attorney until the date of its entry into force, the general guardian will send the appointing person a reminder, once every 3 years, to make sure that the person does not want to change the power of attorney for any reason.
An important point that must be noted and addressed carefully is that the power of attorney must be drawn up on special forms and signed before a lawyer who has undergone special training, and that he has no personal interest in the power of attorney. If this is not the case, then the power of attorney will not be legally issued.
In order for the continuing power of attorney to take effect, there is no obligation for the person to lose his legal capacity, but it is certainly possible to establish that the continuing power of attorney will also be valid in this situation, and then the power of attorney’s entry into office can be done instead of appointing a guardian in the specific matters defined in the continuing power of attorney.
Preliminary instructions:
A person who wishes to set instructions in advance in the event that it is necessary to appoint a guardian for him, can draw up a document of giving advance instructions, in which he can, for example, determine in advance who will be his guardian in the future (if necessary), as well as detail future decisions that will be made on his behalf or actions that will be taken on his behalf by the guardian appointed for him. For more information, see Provision of preliminary instructions for the appointment of a guardian.
In addition, any person who wants to prepare for the stage where he will have difficulty making decisions himself in the future, even if he has not filed a lasting power of attorney or will not be appointed a guardian, has another option, which is to appoint a person (officially) who will help him make decisions but will not make them for him. For more information, see Decision Support.
To Finish:
The author of the article is a lawyer and a qualified mediator with about 10 years of experience, in the past he was involved in the operation of large systems and the management of many teams of employees, he graduated with two degrees and in addition a degree in law, he owns a law office for family matters, inheritances and wills, he is qualified as the general guardian in the Ministry of Justice for drafting power of attorney Continuing and lecturing on family matters and the rights of the elderly.
Happy Seniors Services:
Happy Seniors offers a wide range of services to help elderly people living at home and their families. The services include assistance in finding suitable nursing caregivers, managing medical monitoring and personal care, and supporting daily challenges. The company also offers technological solutions that allow the elderly to stay connected with their families and enjoy community support, all with the goal of improving their quality of life and allowing them to age in a familiar and comfortable environment. Happy Seniors helps the elderly enjoy maximum support and advanced technology, thereby significantly improving their quality of life.
