This is how Israel will help veterans cross the second wave of the Corona virus, against the loneliness virus.

Mapping the elderly population, making contact with them and sending volunteers or representatives from the local authorities or the IDF to distribute food and medicine - this will be the treatment of the elderly population in the second wave as part of the National Action Plan for the Older People in Corona.

Demonstration of tenants' families in front of the Maanan nursing home in Beer Sheva // Photo: Gadi Golan

According to a plan drawn up by the Ministry of Social Equality, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Social Equality, the Home Front Command and the local authorities will be responsible for contacting 1.2 million people aged 65 and over. Only a minority, some 50,000, live in institutions. The program is based on lessons learned and mapping needs from the first wave, and aims to advance the full range of adult health care. To this end, a joint mission team was established for the three offices. The goal of the program is to "get in the tweezers" for any adult.

The "National Action Plan" is based on the Office of Social Equality (8840 *), which will transition to a 24/7 activity format and serve as an emergency hotline for individual inquiries, including providing mental health information and information. HaMoked handled the first wave of about 8,000 people a day.

The older population will be mapped by the Ministry of Social Equality, the Home Front Command and the local authorities. This mapping has already begun in the first wave and will continue now. "The goal is to create a database of all relevant households to keep in touch with everyone and make sure no one is left behind," the program said.

At the same time, HaMoked and the Ministry of Social Equality will work in collaboration with organizations and associations that specialize in responding to the older population in food distribution, mental health and more. One of the key points of the program is addressing the mental field. Today, this response is provided in two ways - through volunteers who undergo training and train "pairs" of a veteran citizen and a volunteer who has regular conversations with him, and a psychosocial response through social workers over the phone. 

In addition, there is an array of approximately 1,400 volunteers and scholarship recipients who are nationally deployed by the ministry. The budget for the program will come from the Ministry of Social Equality, which should allocate about NIS 60 million to the population mapping center and dedicated Holocaust survivors. NIS 50 million from the Ministry of Defense is intended to allocate food portions in the community. Another budget source is the NIS 700 million "Magen Meretz and Mothers" program budget, from which an amount will be allocated to address specific problems in nursing homes - such as test protection equipment.

"The Corona epidemic has created an extreme situation for the adults," the Ministry of Social Equality notes. The average age of those deceased from Corona is over 80, and 87 percent of those deceased are 70 and older. Also, 42 percent of the deceased were from institutions. The proportion of those aged 70 and over among the severely ill ranged from 69 percent in the first wave to 50 percent in July.

At the head of the task force will be Nathaniel Levi, Director of Security and Emergency Ministry for Social Equality, and will be shared by Prof. Nimrod finance, responsible plan "Protective Fathers and Mothers' Health Ministry, and Brigadier General (res) Moshe Edery, Assistant Secretary of Defense for protection.

The three are reported Once a week to Minister of Health Yuli Edelstein, Minister of Civil Affairs in the Ministry of Defense Michael Biton and Minister of Social Equality and Pensioners Meirav Cohen.

"Save the elderly"

"The purpose of the program we have built is to save our seniors," said Minister Cohen. "Our effort is divided into two main segments: the adults who live in institutions and those who live in their homes. As for the care of adults who live in the institutions, we have learned a number of first-wave lessons and are now working to increase staffing in the institutions and provide a high frequency of checks to employees entering and leaving institutions. We also take care of regular supply of protective equipment. "

Regarding the elderly who live in their home, Cohen said: "The biggest challenge is to deal with the plight of loneliness. In addition, they must be guaranteed to meet basic needs, such as food and medicine."

And by the time the plan is implemented, veteran citizens appear to have more modest requests. Dan Schiller, 75, of Afula, a physician by profession, retiree and board member of the Dor Generation Association, which carries out activities for the city's veteran citizen, said: "When I walk down the street in various places, I see quite a few young people without masks, and not keeping a distance, which is a problem. I ask you to think about your grandparents and the other veteran citizens. "

Noam (Devol) Dvir participated in the preparation of the news