Public policy for supporting employed family caregivers of the elderly: the Israeli case

ABSTRACT

The demographic processes that have  been avolving in recent years around the world and Israeli society in particular, associated with the rise in life expectancy and the aging of population, are rasing the depedency ratio  and increasingpublic policy  makers' interest in issues related to caring for the elderly and thier support. These  circumstances have a considerable effect on family member required to  assist  thier aging parents, as they raise the potential support ratio and have an even greater impact on employed family caregivers. This article examined the policy implemented in Israel for providing support and assistance to employed family caregivers assisting ageing parents. It shows that the current policy is relatively limited compared to that of other liberal countries and not compatible with caregivers’ demands and needs. The article calls for implementing an effective public policy for employed family caregivers and suggests ways of formulating such a policy.

KEYWORDS:

• Israel
• public policy
• long term care
• family care
• elderly
• employed family caregivers

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Christensen, Doblhammer, Rau, and Vaupel, “Ageing Populations,” 1196–208.

2. Braw, Cohen, Brender-Ilan, and Sohlberg, “Public Policy for Dementia on Modern Workplaces,” 172–87.

3. Reinhardt, “ Aging Drive the Demand for Health Care,” 27–39; and Caspersen, Thomas, Boseman, Beckles, and Albright, “ Aging, Diabetes, and the Public Health System”, 1482–97.

4. Razin, Sadka and Swagel, “Aging Population and Welfare State,” 900–18; and Lin, Chou, Liang, Peng, and Chen, “Population Aging and its Impacts,” S23–7.

5. Azari - Vizel and Shtayer, “Welfare Budgets for the Elderly Population”, 378–401.

6. Such as nursing caregivers, physiotherapists, social workers, occupational therapists, and so on.

7. Deeken, Taylor, Mangan, Yabroff and Ingham . “Care for the Caregivers,” 922–53; Belasco, Barbosa, Bettencourt, Diccini and Sesso, “Quality of Life of Family Caregivers,” 955–63; Brodaty and Donkin, “Family Caregivers of People with Dementia,” 217; and Ho, Chan, Woo, Chong and Sham, “Caregiving and Quality of Life,” 873–9.

8. Doron and Lazar,”Formal Support for Caregivers.”

9. Parent, spouse, life partner, adult child, sibling, and/or friend.

10. Yeandle, Bennett, Bucker, Shipton and Suokas, ”Who Cares Wins.”

11. ‏Brodesky, Neon, Razniztky and Ben- Non, “Recipients of Nursing Allowance.”

12. ‏Strang, Koop, Dupuis-Blanchard, Nordstrom and Thompson, “Family Caregivers and Long-term Care,” 27–45; ‏Levine, Halper, Peist and Gould, “Bridging Troubled Waters,”116–24; and ‏Reinhard, Levine, and Samis, “Home Alone.”

13. Brodeski, Razinski and Sitron, “Issues in the Family Care of Elderly,” 19–23.

14. Ibid.

15. ‏Rabinowitz, Saenz, Thompson and Gallagher-Thompson, “Understanding Caregiver Health Behaviors,” 310–6.

16. Berg –Verman, Razniztky and Brodesky, “Who Takes Care of the Caregiver?”

17. Such as expenses for doctor appointments, buying medications, transportation to treatment, employing a personal caregiver at home, etc.

18. Employers for Cares, “Supporting Working Carers.”

19. Cranswick, “General social survey cycle”; and Reinhard, Feinberg, Choula and Houser, “Valuing the invaluable,” 89–98.

20. Ireson, Sethi and Williams, “Availability of Caregiver‐friendly Workplace Policies,” 1–14; Berg –Verman, Laron, Spelter, Razniztky and Brodesky, “Participation of Family Members Handle Support Groups,” 78–97.

21. Musil, Morris, Warner and Saeid, “Caregivers’ Stress and Providers’ Support,” 505–26.

22. Rubin and White-Means, “Informal Caregiving: Dilemmas of Sandwiched Caregivers,” 252–67.

23. Schulz and Martire, “Family Caregiving of Persons with Dementia,” 240–9.

24. Schulz and Eden, Families Caring for an Aging America; and Trask, “Alleviating the Stress on Working Families.”

25. Ireson, Sethi and Williams, “Availability of Caregiver‐friendly Workplace Policies.”

26. Ages 20–64.

27. Brodeski, Razinski and Sitron, “Issues in the Family Care of Elderly.”

28. Such as: child allowance, maternity leave, allowing sick pay leave for parents caring for sick children, nursing hour that allows a parent to leave work early to care for a baby, income tax credits for children younger than 6, and others.

29. Stoltz, Uden and Willman, “Support for Family Carers,” 111–9; Friedland, “Caregivers and Long-term Care Needs”; Grootegoed and Van Dijk, “The Return of the Family?,” 677–94; Redfoot, Feinberg and Houser, “The Aging of the Baby Boom,”1–12; Schulz and Eden, Families Caring for an Aging America.

30. Lazzarato, “ Neoliberalism in Action,” 109–33.

31. George and Wilding, ”Ideology and Social Welfare.”

32. Kus,”Neoliberalism, Institutional Change and Welfare State,” 488–525; ‏Giddens, “The Third Way.”

33. Iecovich, “Caregiving and Quality of Life,” 309–30.

34. Bachner, O’Rourke and Carmel, “Fear of Death and Psychological Distress,” 163–87.

35. Iecovich, “Tasks Performed by Primary Caregivers,” 53–75.

36. Dependent in performing 6 activities of daily living: lying down and getting up, dressing, eating, maintaining continence, bathing, self-mobility at home.

37. Sick Leave Law (Absence due to Parent’s Illness), 1993, Sick Leave Law (Absence due to Spouse’s Illness), 1998.

38. The resigning worker can receive unemployment pay immediately. Section 6 of the Severance Pay Law, 1963.

39. Resident of Israel for 24 consecutive months.

40. The income of the person and his/her spouse do not exceed a certain sum, determined by age, marital status, and number of people in the family.

41. Section 2 of the Income Assurance Law, 1980.

42. The credit is only for amounts exceeding 12.5% of the family member’s taxed income (section 44 of the Income Tax Order).

43. Aside from Australia.

44. Leung, Rispoli and Gibson, “Businesses in the Canadian Economy.”

45. Levenstein and Alperin, “Consequences of Elder Care Workers.”

46. Cohen, “The Nature of Israel’s Public Policy,” 73–89.

47. Cohen, “The Activity of Lobbies in the Israel,” 1–18.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Erez Cohen

Erez Cohen is a Senior Lecturer in Middle Eastern Studies - Political Science Department, Ariel University, Israel.

Yael Benvenisti

Yael Benvenisti is Co-CEO of Mediterranean Towers Ventures and chairperson of Technologies of Ageing Well Group in the Society of Electrical and Electronic Engineers in Israel. Aging Research Department, Haifa University, Israel.