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March 4, 2005
Israeli seniors find a voice at last
Jerusalem charity offers much-needed advice and support to pensioners,
while its impact is felt across Israel.
WENDY ELLIMAN ISRAEL PRESS SERVICE
They number as many as one in every 10 Israelis, but it wasn't
until this past summer that Israelis over 65 were finally given
a voice. The name of that voice, Ken La-Zaken – which
translates approximately as Yes to the Elderly – is the brainchild
of veteran Israeli social worker Nathan Lavon, himself now a robust
72 years old and the founder of Ossim Shalom (Making Peace)
– Social Workers for Peace and Social Welfare.
"I've spent my entire working life trying to help people and
secure them the benefits to which they're entitled," said Lavon.
"When I found myself suddenly grown old, I decided it was time
to focus on the rights of the elderly. I wanted to give them somewhere
effective to turn, whether their problem is with supplements, pensions,
benefits or rates, with affordable nursing home care, improving
the local bus service, ensuring access to a local clinic or putting
a railing on a rickety staircase."
Ken La-Zaken, an ombudsman organization for Jerusalem's 7,000 over-65s,
carries Lavon's imprint. He easily secured full budgeting from the
Jerusalem Foundation (which has been involved in the project's development
and implementation from the outset and has representatives on the
Ken La-Zaken board) and has many long-time friends and colleagues
among the volunteers who run it – including social workers,
lawyers and bureaucrats. There are now plans to make Ken La-Zaken
national.
The organization's official opening was in July 2004, at a time
of slashed welfare budgets, eroding pensions and a rapidly growing
elderly population. Currently staffed by some 40 volunteers, it
listens, advises, refers, actively helps and, when necessary, takes
up legal or lobbying cudgels about issues ranging from housing to
health care, leisure to public safety and welfare payments to supplementary
benefits.
"We're active on three levels," said Bianca Yoel, Ken
La-Zaken's co-ordinator, and one of its two paid employees. "First,
we respond to individuals. They contact us via a free hotline at
the Jerusalem Foundation with questions, problems or complaints.
The half-dozen volunteers manning the line either respond on the
spot or refer the callers to one of our experts."
Almost 150 calls have been fielded since its opening, with the numbers
climbing rapidly as Ken La-Zaken becomes known. Many of the calls
have come from people confused about changes in the law concerning
a reduction in rates paid by the elderly.
"The city has sent out letters explaining the new law, but
many people don't understand them," said Yoel. "Even those
who do are uncertain whether or not they qualify or, if they do,
how to get reimbursed. We guide them through the process –
show them which forms they need, how to fill them out and where
to send them."
Guidance alone, however, is not sufficient for all problems brought
to Ken La-Zaken, and sometimes the organization helps institute
legal action. Yoel says there are two suits currently filed: "One
is on behalf of a woman living in a rent-controlled apartment. Its
roof recently collapsed and, despite the landlord's repair, the
rain continues to drip through. He is unwilling to improve on his
work, and so we've helped his tenant take him to court.
"A second concerns an elderly diabetic gentleman who was conned
out of NIS 2,500 (about $600 US) by a sales rep who came to his
home. The man paid by credit card but never received what he'd bought.
He spent months trying to get his money back before coming to us."
In other instances, Ken La-Zaken has used publicity to good effect.
"We received a call from an elderly woman who loves music,"
said Yoel. "She enjoys concerts at the Jerusalem Music Centre
in Mishkenot Sha'ananim, near where she lives, but has great difficulty
accessing the building because of the stairs. We approached the
music centre, the city and the media on her behalf, asking that
secure handrails be added. After Jerusalem news interviewed the
lady, the music centre promised to put up a handrail along the steps
by its entrance."
The second level on which Ken La-Zaken is active is that of the
community. "We are currently campaigning on behalf of the many
elderly people in the Nahla'ot neighborhood as the nearest clinic
for these people is in the city centre – a 10- to 15-minute
walk away – with a very poor bus service connecting the two.
This creates enormous and needless hardship for a lot of people.
We're demanding either that a local clinic be opened or an efficient
bus service be instituted."
While only the elderly who live in Jerusalem currently have access
to these first two levels of service, Ken La-Zaken's national outreach
is already impacting on all Israel's aging population.
"We are a voice for the elderly at national policy-making level,"
said Yoel. "We write to and meet with policy-makers, contributing
our knowledge and expertise. We lobby Knesset members, cabinet ministers
and the prime minister for adequate welfare benefits for the elderly,
nursing-home care, housing, assisted living, reduction in rates
and income maintenance. Many benefits have been abolished in recent
years, the value of pensions has shrunk and there is growing poverty
among elderly Israelis. We see our job as making the government
aware of this and protecting our senior members."
The number of over-65s in Israel is expected to grow twice as fast
as the general population to reach over a million by 2020. "Despite
the considerable financial burden this will create, the elderly
are Israeli citizens, just like everyone else," said Lavon,
"and our nation should take care of all its people. This is
integral to Ken La-Zaken's message. We've made a very good start
and had excellent feedback so far. But it's important to remember
that our work has only just begun."
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