Aging in Israel Research, Policy and Practice

In the twentieth century, all developed nations began to undergo unprecedented demographic changes, as their birth rates declined, and life expectancies increased significantly --an average of thirty years in less than a century. These developments have caused major transformations in the composition of populations in these countries, especially in terms of the proportions of the various age groups. While the age groups of children and adolescents have decreased, those of elderly persons aged 65 and over, have increased.Consistent with the situation in other developed nations, the absolute number and percentage of elderly persons in the Israeli population is increasing, while the percentage of younger persons is decreasing. Israel, however, differs from other developed countries in the pace of this demographic change, the composition of its population, and the ways it can address needs related to aging. The demographic figures in Israel indicate that not only is the proportion of elderly persons in the total population growing, but that the old population itself is rapidly aging as well.This volume exemplifies how social science research can promote knowledge about and understanding of needs and opportunities for adaptation, and assist in evaluating the outcomes of policies and services on the personal, community and national levels, as well as suggest required changes. The variety of topics covered in this volume on age-related research, policies and practice reflects a wide range of research by Israeli scholars on social aspects of aging. Their research offers a glimpse into the knowledge base that has been built over the years on the aging process in Israel, the population of elderly people, and the national policies and network of services for the aged. Other developed countries with aging populations have much to learn from the Israeli experience.

SourcesPart 1: IntroductionPrologue—Aging in Israel: Demographic Changes, Societal Adaptation, and Remaining Challenges -Sara CarmelPart 2: Coping with Losses and Changes at Old Age1. Coping with Losses and Past Trauma in Old Age: The Separation-Individuation Perspective -Liora Bar-Tur and Rachel Levy-Shiff2. Interpersonal Relatedness and Self-Defi nition in Late Adulthood Depression: Personality Predispositions and Protective Factors -Avi Besser and Beatriz Priel3. Long-Term Bereavement Processes of Older Parents: The Three Phases of Grief -Ruth Malkinson and Liora Bar-Tur4. Chronically Ill, Old, and Institutionalized: Being a Nursing Home Resident -Hava Golander5. Self-Identity in Older Persons Suffering from Dementia: Preliminary Results -Jiska Cohen-Mansfi eld, Hava Golander, and Giyorah ArnheimPart 3: Social Diversity, Quality of Life, and Successful Aging6. Contribution of Social Arrangements to the Attainment of Successful Aging: The Experience of the Israeli Kibbutz -Uriel Leviatan7. The Effect of a Communal Life Style on Depressive Symptoms in Late Life -Tzvia Blumstein, Yael Benyamini, Zahava Fuchs, Ziva Shapira, Ilya Novikov, Adrian Walter-Ginzburg, and Baruch Modan8. The Willingness to Enter a Nursing Home: A Comparison of Holocaust Survivors with Elderly People Who Did Not Experience the Holocaust -Sonia Letzter-Pouw and Perla Werner9. Healthy Aging Around the World: Israel Too? -A. Mark Clarfield, Elliot Rosenberg, Jenny Brodsky, and Netta Bentur10. Elders' Quality of Life and Intergenerational Relations: A Cross-National Comparison -Ruth Katz and Ariela Lowenstein11. Correlates of Successful Aging: Are They Universal? -Howard LitwinPart 4: Taking Care of and Caregiving—The Micro and Macro Levels12. Terms of Visibility: Eldercare in an Aging Nation-State—The Israeli Case -Haim Hazan13. Immigration, State Support, and the Economic Well-Being of the Elderly in Israel -Alisa C. Lewin and Haya Stier14. Assisted Living for Older People in Israel: Market Control or Government Regulation? -Israel Doron and Ernie Lightman15. Fragmentation of Care for Frail Older People—An International Problem. Experience from Three Countries: Israel, Canada, and the United States -A. Mark Clarfi eld, Howard Bergman, and Robert Kane16. Old-Age Home in Jerusalem: Post-Occupancy Evaluation -Naomi Carmon17. A Nursing Home in Arab-Israeli Society: Targeting Utilization in a Changing Social and Economic Environment -Khalid Suleiman and Adrian Walter-Ginzburg18. Life-Sustaining Treatments: What Doctors Do, What They Want for Themselves, and What Elderly Persons Want -Sara Carmel19. Modernization and Elder Abuse in an Arab-Israeli Context -Howard Litwin and Sameer Zoabi20. A Comparison of Well-Being of Demented vs. Physically Impaired Family Caregivers of Hospitalized Elderly -Sara MellerPart 5: Predictors of Survival at Old Age21. Determinants of the Health and Survival of the Elderly: Suggestions from Two Different Experiences—Italy and Israel -Antonella Pinnelli and Eitan Sabatello22. Mortality Differentials among Israeli Men -Orly Manor, Zvi Eisenbach, Eric Peritz, and Yechiel Friedlander23. Gender Differences in the Self-Rated Health—Mortality Association: Is It Poor Self-Rated Health That Predicts Mortality or Excellent Self-Rated Health That Predicts Survival? -Yael Benyamini, Tzvia Blumstein, Ayala Lusky, and Baruch Modan24. The Will to Live and Survival at Old Age: Gender Differences -Sara Carmel, Orna Baron-Epel, and Galia Shemy25. Beyond Keeping Active: Concomitants of Being a Volunteer in Old-Old Age -Dov Shmotkin, Tzvia Blumstein, and Baruch Modan