The Blog From the Heart
To Camera or Not to Camera? Ensuring the Safety of an Elderly Loved-One with a Caregiver
Israel boasts a highly developed (and heavily subsidized) system of live-in care that enables seniors to age in place and maintain maximum independence, even when they require full assistance in their activities of daily living. Stories abound of kind,...
Flying with a Loved One with Dementia: Tips for a Smooth Journey
August is peak time for flying: an opportunity to get away from it all, enjoy new scenery and create memories. But for a person with cognitive impairment, unfamiliar environments and routines of travel can be disorienting, which can make flying challenging. Still,...
Hiring a Foreign Caregiver? Here is What You Need to Know
Permits and payments and pensions, oh my! The process of hiring a foreign caregiver can be daunting. Here is what you need to know: Permit To hire a foreign caregiver, you will need to obtain a Permit (“heiter hasaka”) from the Israel Ministry of Population and...
Of Sound Mind, Second Marriages and Blended Families: Navigating the Complexities of Family Caregiving
(This article originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post.) Remember the movie Yours, Mine and Ours? Based loosely on a real-life family, the comedy-drama told the story of two widowers who fell in love and married, ultimately “blending” their combined 18 (!)...
Senior Moments: Tips for Celebrating Holidays When a Loved One Has Dementia
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… Chanukah in Israel is a special time; a full week plus of dancing lights, fancy donuts, songs and games. Whether your tradition is to fry up some latkes, sufganiyot, or sfinj, most everyone shares the tradition of...
Caring for a Parent Who Didn’t Care for You
"When you comin' home dad?" "I don't know when But we'll get together then. You know we'll have a good time then…” Cat’s...
The Gift of Care Management
"The real gift of care management is for people to know there is help when they need it, because the needs often come on suddenly and it’s very overwhelming.” - Sharon Beth Halachmy We’re delighted to share this recent article on B’Lev Shalem that appeared in New...
New Requirements for Bituach Leumi Foreign Caregivers
In August 2022 individuals logging into the Bituach Leumi website noticed that requirements regarding Bituach Leumi (National Insurance) payments for foreign caregivers had changed. Unfortunately, but the instructions regarding the change were contradictory and...
Israel’s sandwich-generation kids are getting squashed under pressure – opinion
The "sandwich generation" is a rapidly-growing group of people that are "sandwiched" between taking care of family members and trying to hold a job. According to the Pew Research Center, 23% of adults in the US are now part of the “sandwich generation,”...
Home is Where the Heart Is: Helping Aging Parents Choose the Right Living Arrangement
(This article originally appeared in The Times of Israel.) As our parents age, one of the most important decisions they will need to make is where they age. Should they stay in their existing home? Downsize to a smaller place? Move to a retirement community? Move to...