The Counseling Service for the Elderly operates support groups for elderly people in various crisis situations which occur at this stage of their lives. The types of groups vary from one branch to another, and are determined according to the unique needs of the local population. The most common types of support groups are for new retirees, widows and widowers, divorcees, and the families of Alzheimer’s patients.
Support groups take place at all local NII branches throughout the year.
Further information on support groups to be held in the near future may be obtained at "activities of the local NII branches in the community", or at telephone 02-6463400 between 8.30 and 12.30. A message can be left.
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 about 10 sessions and provides a source of support, encouragement and learning for the participants.
Support for Persons who Care for their Elderly Relatives
The rise in life expectancy has been accompanied by a rise in the rate of elderly people who are limited in their daily functioning and who are in need of help from others due to a physical or cognitive impairment or a combination of the two. According to recent statistics, about 17% of all elderly are limited in their functioning, a rate which rises significantly with the rise in age.
This situation, together with various social trends (such as changes in the family structure, occupation, living conditions, etc.), raises the need to relate to the family that cares for the elderly person and to develop programs and services aimed at assisting the family, it being the pillar on which the formal care at home rests.
With this background, the Counseling Service for the Elderly was a partner to the initiative of the Long-Term Care Fund of the NII, "Support Groups for Main Caregivers", which organized about 80 support groups throughout Israel on November 20, 2012.