Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! All of our Care Managers speak both English and Hebrew. We know there can be a significant gap in language and culture for Anglos navigating the system in Israel, our bi-lingual team allows us to bridge that gap.
Our Care Managers help coordinate every aspect of care in the home, including searching for and interviewing caregivers, facilitating necessary paperwork, overseeing the transition to the home, helping understand employer obligations and applying for Bituach Leumi benefits. That said, we are not a caregiver agency, so if you are “only looking for a caregiver” then our services may be more than what you need.
Absolutely, we have a dedicated aliyah service specifically to support senior Olim and Toshavim Chozrim successfully transition to life in Israel. This can include a thoughtful and in depth “feasibility study” to consider the specific aging-related needs of your loved one and how they can be met in Israel. That said, if you are just starting to look at the option of a move there are many resources available to you free of charge, such as Nefesh B’Nefesh, if your loved one will be moving from North America, or Telfed, for Aliyah from South Africa.
We charge hourly for our time, including time spent in person during home or hospital visits, attending appointments as well as time spent coordinating care, for example, searching for caregivers, ordering equipment, scheduling appointments, completing and submitting applications. Time charges also include time spent communicating with family or professionals. Our hourly rate is between ILS 350 – ILS 450 per hour, depending on the scope of our work and the plan of care we decide on together with you.
We normally do not charge for travel time, but we reserve the right to do so in special circumstances including travel outside of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Ra’anana, Netanya, and Modi’in, multiple in-person visits in a short period of time, and/or inner-city travel that exceeds one hour due to traffic or closures.
Out of consideration of our clients’ privacy and time, we do not provide client references. However, you can read testimonials of past clients via our Google reviews, on our website and in our Sandwich Generation Israel Facebook group.
When working with your family we strive to ensure that an appropriate emergency plan is thought through and in place. However, we are not a “moked” (call center) so we are not available 24/7 in case of emergency.
Our business hours are 9:00 to 19:00 Sunday to Thursday, though our Care Managers make every effort to be available when needed outside of business hours in crisis situations or to accommodate scheduling constraints.
Unfortunately, Senior Care Management is not a recognized profession in Israel (yet, we are working on it!) and as such there is no accreditation body in Israel. That said, our practice and code of ethics is closely modeled on the U.S. model of care management which strives to promote the health and well-being of the client and assist the client to effectively access the services and support they need to achieve their goals. All of our Care Managers hold academic degrees in relevant fields such as social work, nursing or gerontology.
Personalized service is the heart of B’lev Shalem. We intentionally keep our Care Managers’ case loads small and carefully monitor schedules to ensure that each Care Manager can get to know each client individually and give each family the time and attention that they need and deserve.
Though your relationship with our Care Manager is a personal one, we operate as a team to make sure that on occasions that she is not available (care managers need vacations too!) another care manager can seamlessly step in to help.
Our goal is to make every client feel like he or she is our only client!
Our Care Managers are experienced in working within the Israeli social service system and navigating bureaucracy. We can guide you, step-by-step, in tapping into all the benefits for which you are eligible – both Bituach Leumi and other benefits which you may not even know about!