Dear Friends,
Right now, far from the public’s view, a governmental committee comprised of staff from the Health Ministry and the Finance Ministry, are holding deliberations to determine how our parents and grandparents will be looked after in their hours of need. Their mandate: to formulate the guidelines for “streamlining and improving the treatment of the elderly population and those in nursing homes.”
Why are we worried? Because the Finance Ministry, headed by Minister Moshe Kahlon, has refused to approve a broad reform in the nursing sector. There is now growing concern that given the crisis facing our nursing sector in Israel, the new policy guidelines will improve the situation slightly but will not do enough to significantly change the quality of care provided to the elderly in Israel, nor will they reduce the heavy burden faced by families with elderly dependents.
Now is the time to enlist in the fight for improved nursing care in Israel.
ACRI supports comprehensive reform, in the manner proposed by Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and experts from the Health Ministry.
Our demands:
- Grant every elderly person requiring nursing care a diverse and sufficient package of services, and significant nursing hours, allowing them to remain in their homes, health permitting;
- Ensure residence in a nursing facility for those who require it, as part of their health services package, without conditioning the hospitalization on a high deductible;
- Establish a unifying framework for all nursing services that will reduce the difficulties that the elderly and their families must endure in order to exercise their rights, and
- Improve conditions of workers in the nursing sector.
We have reached the pivotal moment in the campaign. Now is the time to say to Minister Kahlon: Our elderly parents can no longer be neglected. We are unwilling to compromise and give up the fight to reform the nursing sector.
Click here and join ACRI in the struggle to uphold the dignity of our parents and grandparents.
Yours,
Sharon
Adv. Sharon Abraham-Weiss
Executive Director
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel
