Support groups for widows and widowers
Support groups for elderly widows and widowers are held and all the branches. The main purpose of these groups is to provide emotional assistance during the crisis and support in preparing to return to their normal lives.
The group facilitators are social workers and professionals in the field of elder counseling at the branches. The groups contain up to 15 participants and the meetings continue for about three months, once a week for two hours each time. Participation in the groups serves as a significant anchor for the participants - they share with other group members the process of working through their grief and coping with their personal loss, and they acquire the spiritual strength and personal validation they need to return to a normal life.
The support groups provide each participant with a sense of warmth, partnership and full acceptance by the group. At the end of the process, most of the participants leave with a renewed sense of strength, which enables them to go on.
Belonging to a support group also creates the connection between the participants and the counseling service itself and, if necessary, they can contact the service to obtain support.
Support groups for women who are divorced retirees
Retiring from work with the approach of old age is liable to exacerbate crises that have occurred in recent years. Divorce in later years, near the time of retirement, can constitute a “double crisis” at this stage of life, which can raise questions, problems and additional issues to contend with, on both the practical and emotional levels.
The Counseling Service for the Elderly operates support groups for women who are divorced retirees, in which they can talk to other women in the same position, discuss the problems and issues that preoccupy them and express their feelings.
The group meets for 10 sessions and provides a source of support, encouragement and learning for the participants.
Support groups operate in all the local NII branches throughout the year for families of Alzheimer’s patients, for the recently widowed who are above the age of 60, and for divorcees above the age of 55. For details, please call 02-6463400 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. You can also leave a message.
Upcoming support groups:
· Ashkelon - A support group for widows and widowers age 55 and up, who lost their spouses during the past year. The sessions will be held once a week at the NII branch located at 101 Hanasi Street. For details and registration, please call 08-6731076.
· Ashkelon - A support group for elderly immigrants, will be held at the NII branch located at 101 Hanasi Street. For details and registration, please call 08-6731076.
· Beer Sheva - A support group for widows and widowers age 55 and up, who lost their spouses during the past year (the group is for fluent Hebrew speakers). The sessions will be held once a week at the NII branch located at 6 Wolfson Street, Beer Sheva. For details and registration, please call 08-6295323.
· Holon - A support group for widows is about to begin at the NII branch located at 26 Pinchas Lavon Street, Holon. For details and registration, please call 03-5022553.
· Jerusalem - A support group for widows and widowers is about to begin at the NII branch located at 4 Shimon Ben Shetach Street, Jerusalem. For details and registration,
please call 02-6755573.
· Karmiel - A support group for widows who lost their spouses during the past two years is about to begin. The group will meet on Thursdays between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. at the NII branch located in the Kikar Ha’ir mall. For details and registration, please call Vered Amor at 04-9907362.
· Nahariya - A support group for widows and widowers is about to open at the NII branch located at 62 Weizmann Street, Nahariya. For details and registration, please call Michal at 04-9528167.
· Afula - A support group for divorcees age 55 and up is about to begin at the NII branch located 4 Jerusalem Street, Afula. The group’s facilitator will be a professional social worker who is highly skilled and experienced in the field. For details and registration, please call Raphaela Genigar at 04-6529208 or Racheli Faraj at 04-6529253.
· Afula - A support group for widows and widowers age 55 and up is about to begin at the NII branch located 4 Jerusalem Street, Afula. The group’s facilitator will be a highly skilled professional social worker. For details and registration, please call Raphaela Genigar at 04-6529208 or Racheli Faraj at 04-6529253.
· Safed - A support group for the families of Alzheimer’s patients is held at the NII branch located at 100 Hapalmach Street, throughout the year. The meetings are held once a month. For details and registration, please call 04-6825125 or 050-6285580.
· Rehovot - A support group for widows and widowers is held on Mondays at 11:00 a.m. in the Counseling Service for the Elderly department, at 44 Levin Epstein Street, Rehovot. For details and registration, please call 08-9345442.
· Ramla - A support group for Hebrew speaking widows and widowers age 55 and up, who lost their spouses during the past year, is about to begin on Wednesday mornings in the reception hall on the entrance floor, at the NII branch located at 11 Danny Mass Street, Ramla. For details and registration, please call Yehudit or Naomi at 08-9777396.