Oct 5, 2021
International Day of Older Persons Highlights Federation’s Work
Federation, along with our overseas partner, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), has long prioritized the health and wellbeing of older adults. With October 1 recognized as International Day of Older Persons, we are reminded that in the wake of the pandemic, issues among the aging population have become particularly significant. To meet this growing need, JDC ESHEL, which works with the Israeli government, other nonprofits and seniors to develop innovative programming for this population, recently created a dashboard that measures the health of seniors in Israel. The system reflects a shared set of directories for government agencies and other organizations to measure and monitor levels of optimal aging among Israelis, a critical area of importance when approximately 12% of the population is 65 and older.
The dashboard demonstrates the extent to which Israel’s older adults are healthy and living independently and guides policymaking, budget allocation and program development accordingly. The first survey, conducted this past June, examined how the vaccination campaign and the period of removing COVID-related restrictions affected the elderly population. Despite the opening of the economy and decline in restrictions, 30% of the elderly reported a deterioration in health to the point of daily function; 37% reported a poor mental state and 13% experienced a decrease in support from family and/or organizations.
In response to the survey, JDC immediately took steps to improve the situation by training elderly in digital literacy so they can take part in a number of adapted online offerings such as seminars, gatherings and even virtual rehabilitation services — including medical, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work, speech pathology and psychology. Even through the pandemic, Federation and our overseas partner continue to respond to the needs of the elderly and allow them to age with dignity and care.
