Bnei Bayit

When a parent is diagnosed with dementia — what to do now

The practical path after a dementia diagnosis: how much time you have, the difference between the settings, which rights you are entitled to, and where to turn. Information for families — not medical advice.

A diagnosis of dementia or cognitive decline changes the whole plan. The decline in functioning is gradual, and over time the question of a suitable setting arises. This page explains the steps and the rights — it is not medical advice.

How much time you have

Dementia usually advances gradually, so two things are worth arranging early: a lasting power of attorney (possible only while the parent still understands the meaning of the document, i.e. has legal capacity) and clarifying entitlements with the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi).

The fork: at home or in a setting

  • At home — with home-care services, a caregiver, and day centres for people with dementia.
  • In a ward for tashushei nefesh (תשושי נפש; people with significant cognitive decline who need close supervision) — a ward licensed by the Ministry of Health, inside an old-age home (beit avot) or a nursing institution, for the stage when staying at home is no longer safe (restlessness, a tendency to wander and get lost, disorientation in time and space, safety risk). The classification (tashush nefesh, nursing and so on) is decided by a committee at the regional health office, and it can be appealed.

The move is not a failure — it is matching the level of supervision to the need.

What you are entitled to

  • Long-term care benefit (גמלת סיעוד, gimlat siud) from the National Insurance Institute — based on a dependency assessment; it can fund care hours or a day centre.
  • A helpline and support groups from the Emda association (families of people with Alzheimer's and dementia) — ‎*8889.
  • Additional rights depending on the situation and age (for example a disability pension or the special services allowance — under National Insurance rules) — check with Bituach Leumi.
  • Note: according to the National Insurance Institute, the long-term care benefit is paid to people who have reached retirement age and live at home or in sheltered housing; someone staying in a ward for tashushei nefesh (supervised by the Ministry of Health) is not entitled to it.

Which settings in the catalogue

Settings with care for people classified as tashushei nefesh (severe cognitive decline). The link below filters the catalogue by that flag; the specific match is yours to decide, after a visit.

Sources

Facilities in the catalogue that may fit this situation:

110 matching facilities in the catalogue →

Other situations

When home is no longer enough — the move to a care settingFor families at the point where care at home has run its course: how to recognise it, how to talk to your parent, which types of setting exist, and what the next step is. In a tone of respect, without guilt.→They are discharging your parent from hospital — what to do nowYour parent is hospitalised and the hospital announces a discharge — there is little time to decide. The practical path: the right to rehabilitation, a temporary caregiver permit, and where to turn. Information for families — this is not medical advice.→

← All situations