Life expectancy in Israel is one of the highest in the world. Despite the economic and health challenges of many elderly people, and despite the corona pandemic that worsened their situation, Israelis still live longer.
Ninety-five percent of the older population choose to stay at home and remain in their familiar environment. There is a strong sense of community in Israel.
However, COVID-19 has made the elderly much more vulnerable, and the pandemic of loneliness has caused many casualties. The Social Security report just published states that 23% of the older population now live below the poverty line, with some having to choose between heating their homes or buying medicines.
The other day I met with Meirav Cohen, the Minister for Social Equality and Pensioners. I was most impressed with this dynamic 38-year-old minister. Her meteoric rise from a social activist in Jerusalem to the highest echelons of politics does not surprise me.
Cohen is passionate about making a difference in the quality of life of the elderly population. She started out as a “journalist” in fourth grade, seeking to influence public awareness through her writing. She was so inspirational that she prompted me to invite my nine-year-old granddaughter, also named Meirav, to join the interview.
As a social activist, Cohen helped expose and put an end to fraudulent schemes based on selling superfluous goods and services to seniors. She calls Israel a “paradise for crooks”: innocent victims went bankrupt due to financial charges they had never initiated. She helped retrieve millions that were stolen from the elderly. She introduced a law at the end of the year to stop the transfer of funds from credit card companies to these fraudulent companies.
Cohen said she had to be very creative and use all the tricks of the trade to capture the culprits. She is currently also working on allocating land and constructing retirement homes that are affordable. Another of her important initiatives is the 60+ employment project. As people live longer they need to be able to be productive for a longer period of time. To rectify the situation, various training programs were introduced.
There are many private organizations that offer help to seniors. I was recently introduced to Rephael Rot, who runs the Golden Line nonprofit organization based in Jerusalem. He applies to different government agencies on behalf of the elderly and qualifies them for rights to which they may not even be aware they are entitled. Rot has made a tremendous difference in the betterment of many Holocaust survivors and other elderly people.
Due to corona, there is also an acute shortage of foreign caretakers in Israel. Numbers range from 20,000 to 50,000 depending on which government ministry one quotes. Many family members are collapsing under the burden of being full-time caretakers and some have to quit their jobs.
I moved back to Israel six years ago to be with my father, who was becoming frailer and manage his care. We switched caretakers weekly until we landed the jackpot with Joy from India. He was perfect for my father and shared with us not only chores but also holidays and joyous events.
After my father passed away, Joy shared our feeling of tremendous loss. My father’s next-door neighbor told me that even his family of 10 brothers and sisters found it difficult to take care of their own father and asked how I managed to do it. My answer was that I got much more than I gave. My father was fond of quoting his favorite line from the Book of Psalms: “You gave Joy in my heart!”
May we all merit to bring joy to the hearts of our loved ones in the autumn of their lives.
Shoshana Tita is a writer, journalist and director of TLC in Potomac, Maryland. She currently resides in Jerusalem.