Bnei Bayit

When home is no longer enough — the move to a care setting

For 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.

The stage at which care at home — even with a caregiver — is no longer enough is one of the hardest emotionally. Guilt and a feeling of "betrayal" are common, but they do not reflect reality. Moving to a care setting is not necessarily abandonment; it can be a way of continuing to care for your parent. This page explains the signs, the types of care setting and the rights — it is not medical or legal advice.

Signs that home has run its course

  • repeated falls even with a caregiver present;
  • a need for round-the-clock supervision that cannot be provided at home;
  • severe burnout of the family caregiver;
  • safety risks — medication, gas, leaving the house.

How much time you have

How long the application takes at the district health office depends on how quickly the documents are submitted. The Ministry of Health page gives no fixed time and refers to its service charter for time estimates.

How to talk to your parent

  • a shared conversation, not a finished announcement;
  • involve the parent in the decision and in the visits;
  • if there is resistance — do not push; sometimes visiting a place together helps more than talking.

Types of setting

An old-age home (beit avot, for independent and frail residents), a nursing institution, and a ward for the mentally frail (tashushei nefesh, which the Ministry of Health defines by significant cognitive decline) — according to the level of dependency. The glossary explains the differences and the funding.

Note the long-term care benefit (gimlat siud) from the National Insurance Institute. It is paid to someone living at home, in sheltered housing, or in a ward for the independent or the frail that is supervised and licensed by the Ministry of Welfare. It is not paid in a nursing ward, a complex-nursing ward, a ward for the mentally frail (tashushei nefesh) or a prolonged-ventilation ward supervised by the Ministry of Health, nor when a public body funds most of the maintenance costs. Someone who receives the benefit and wants to move to a home for the elderly fills in a "confirmation of residence in an institution" form and sends it to the National Insurance branch. The licence and supervision depend on the type of ward (Ministry of Welfare or Ministry of Health); the Ministry of Health says it is important to make sure the institution holds a suitable licence.

Which settings in the catalogue

The link below shows nursing homes in the catalogue. Filter by city, character, and funding; the decision is yours, after a visit.

Sources

Facilities in the catalogue that may fit this situation:

75 matching facilities in the catalogue →

Other situations

When a parent is diagnosed with dementia — what to do nowThe 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.→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