The glittering commercials for sheltered housing offer high-quality living, and rightly so • There are also quite a few complications and problems. • Guide
"Mashan" residents in activity // Photo: Roy Mizrahi
Esther Baruch celebrated her 90th birthday last summer. She lives in Tel Aviv, surrounded by her family and grandchildren, who also live in the area, and so far, despite her age and despite relentless pressure from her friends, she is steadfastly refusing to leave the big city and the surrounding area for sheltered housing, as good and expensive as it may be.
"What's wrong with me here?" She wonders. "As long as I am independent I prefer to surround myself in as young a environment as possible. Meet friends my age, but also walk around the street and see people younger than me. Do not want to be surrounded only by seniors. Elderly people have enough activities and meetings even without moving to a nursing home or sheltered housing. ".
Baruch's worldview and life is considered quite unusual among her peers, the least independent. In recent years, awareness among the adult civilian population has grown in favor of all protected housing, and many are taking the reins, with or without consulting their immediate family, and deciding on moving to sheltered housing. No matter the mental, social or economic price the process will include.
High financial and personal price
Still, protected housing has many and many drawbacks. Avraham Bar David, chairman of the Protected Housing Tenants Association in Israel, has for the past two years criticized these institutions in De Marker. In addition to the considerable adjustment difficulties, some housing units have canceled the one-time deposit, but have softened prices. In others, there are transparency issues of billing, conduct, and expense - in many other cases - sheltered housing itself is very expensive, and the elderly population is limited in that regard, moreover, in cases of disagreement, customers are not always able to stand up, bargain and prove their righteousness.
The "Yad Lakshad" site - and not only it - lists other shortcomings, including the loss of privacy for the benefit of dozens of new and foreign people, as well as the stress and pressure of moving in or out. "The price paid by the elderly who decide to move from their spacious home is often very high," the website said.
"The 'recalcitrant' phenomenon is a well-known phenomenon, and there is so much to do about it," Bar David admits. "People have been used to their environment and their home for many years, and there is no way they will want to give up on their own free will, that is not the age for change. The thing is, they do not notice that conditions have changed, things they could have easily done in the past, are more difficult and complex now."
"Adults are used to the concepts of yesteryear," Bar David adds another reason. "A nursing home is a place of old people who are going to die." That was not true then, and not now. In any case, sheltered housing and a nursing home are two completely different things. For everyone else, people still don't know how to make a difference. Decide that you are leaving everything and moving into sheltered housing. Me and my wife lived in a large, high-rise house. At some point you discover that you no longer have the power for stairs, the children no longer live in the home, which has become big and empty, and things like traveling to a health fund or just shopping at a supermarket become a burden. Really, especially when you live in the city and not in the seat. When we considered whether to leave or not, one of the parameters was the unfortunate news that we were going Oh place, 'harm' inheritance we leave to our children, but we concluded that it is preferable to make the kind of burden on them, when we are less independent and we will need help, and high-frequency therapies. "
According to Bar David, who has lived for the past seven and a half years at Sharon's Polge Estate, there are three main factors that ultimately tilt the balance in favor of leaving independent living in the city or in the moshav, in favor of sheltered and closed housing. "The most important thing is medical security, first of all," he emphasizes. "Sheltered housing has a doctor available at any given moment, who is here to solve any problem, small and large. It removes a lot of concerns that exist in the daily routine of adults who do not live in sheltered housing and have to deal with the bureaucracy of ordering doctors, walking and traveling to clinics, booking appointments and more. Another important parameter is personal security. Almost every day we see news stories about an elderly man being robbed or an elderly man who broke into the house. It reassures me to be in a place that I know is secure at a high level all the time and should not be hysterical and look back all the time. "
"Finally," he concludes, "moving into sheltered housing is mainly worthwhile because it prevents loneliness. It is important for everyone, but it is especially important for those who, for reasons like this and others, do not come to visit them on a regular basis, whether voluntarily or distant or living abroad. ".
Along with the enthusiasm and impression of the abundance of sheltered housing, it is important to remember that this is not something anyone can afford. This is an investment of hundreds of thousands of shekels at a minimum, and some of the sheltered housing units are choosing to sell their apartments to pay for it.
Must Do "Homework"
The amounts are split in two - the more significant is the deposit. This is a high amount, between hundreds of thousands of shekels and a million, two or three million shekels, which actually simulates the purchase of the apartment. The amount varies according to parameters such as the location of the house and the area of the apartment. In addition, tenants pay monthly rent or maintenance of thousands or tens of thousands of shekels. The maintenance fee includes all the services provided by the protected housing to the tenant, such as health and security services, monthly cleaning services, cultural activities, property taxes, water and electricity. In most places, the maintenance fee does not include "extra" services such as a home Internet connection or TV provider.
In Palace Intelligence, the Azrieli Group flagship project, for example, the deposit prices for tenants range from NIS 1.5 million to NIS 2.4 million, depending on the size of the apartment. The tenants pay a monthly maintenance fee of NIS 5300-10,000, depending on the size of the apartment. For these maintenance fees, of course, the tenants receive a whole envelope of content, classes, health and fitness, cultural activities and more.
However, new factors have entered the market, and not all of them meet the high standards set by their competitors. So when it comes to spending so much money on our family members, many are doing serious research work, surveys and comparisons, and even consulting legal entities.
"In recent years, customers coming to the first meeting can see that they are well equipped with knowledge and familiarity with the protected housing world," Arnon reveals. Customers want to fully understand the lifestyle of the home and ensure that the sheltered housing offers all their needs and includes, among other things, rich content, leisure, quality facilities and community life. For most potential tenants, it is important to meet the tenants and hear firsthand about the living experience and the level of services. "
"Connecting with proper housing for our relatives is not just a contractual matter," emphasizes attorney Ahav Cohen, who specializes in contract law. "It is, first and foremost, a matter of good energy and chemistry. In most cases, when there is good chemistry - there is also a good agreement. And if there is no good agreement first proposed - remember that any agreement with a decent party is open to negotiation. And if it is not open to negotiation - you should not contact the same business. We must understand that legal contracting with a framework for sheltered housing usually involves compiling a complex agreement. But that doesn't mean you have to hire a lawyer to deal with it. We must understand that, as with any agreement, the written sections are also subject to change and open, at one level or another, to negotiations. If that is not the case - I would not recommend contacting the same sheltered housing who is unable to show any flexibility towards a potential tenant. "
The main points enshrined in the agreement usually include the method of attachment (deposit payment, entry, monthly or even rental) and the payment method. It is strongly recommended to include in the contractual agreement the possibility of changing the type of contract in the future, depending on the changing circumstances, and to give the tenant the opportunity to convert the existing contracting route in another contracting route, if and when he needs it.
"It is recommended to include in the agreement an accurate description of the selected payment method and specify whether the payment also includes maintenance fees and / or other related services," Cohen notes. "That is, it is advisable to write, in an unambiguous manner, what services are included in the payment and what the tenant will be required to pay separately. In addition, it is worth noting in the agreement what special services may be essential to the tenant, to understand if the protected housing can provide them. These Services - We will request this statement as a written commitment under the Agreement.
"In many cases, a tenant living in a nursing home complex will at some point be defined as suffering from a nursing condition. In such a case, the tenant may need the services of a nursing care provider attached to it. Therefore, in signing the agreement, it is important to make sure that there is an express clause recognizing the tenant's right to a neighbor in his housing unit, Or in a nearby complex, a caregiver may be required at some point for the occupant to be absent from the complex for a specific period of time for hospitalization or other reason. Sometimes the management of the nursing home may decide that the absence of a particular tenant deprives him of his right to reside in the complex, and even relocate his unit. Into another tenant's hands to avoid In such cases, it is recommended to make sure that the contract shall recognize the tenant to maintain the housing unit where he lives, even in cases of prolonged absence involuntarily. "
A privilege for the rich
Sarah Davidson, a wealthy woman who also lives in Polleg, is 180 degrees different from Baruch's reluctant approach when it comes to moving to sheltered housing. "We moved here at the age of 70, relatively young," she says. "We were both very active and independent in our lives. Our friends went crazy, didn't understand why we did it, we were, and still are, people with hobbies and pursuits from morning till evening.
"The decision was made fairly spontaneously for us, to tell the truth. We first arrived at an Italian food workshop. Before we started, we were given a tour, where we were presented with current apartments and future building plans. At the time, we were living in a penthouse in Ramat Aviv and were looking for a flat flat anyway. We chose one of the apartments that were in a future construction plan, although my husband objected. Three years later, we entered the apartment, supposedly for two weeks of experience, but since then it has not occurred to us to return to Ramat Aviv. "
Davidson testifies that the decision was not taken well by friends and family. "Everyone objected," she recalls. "The brothers, friends, family, nobody understood. We are active people, with two private vehicles, volunteers at associations, with orchestra players. We now live in a pastoral place, a village with Dutch streets and vegetation. The only difference is that instead of returning to a noisy and busy city "We return to a calm and quiet home. How can you not fall in love?"
Contrary to the grim predictions of her friends and family, Davidson's social world was not affected by the transition, he said: "We found soulmates here in no time, and the transition did not momentarily damage our relationships with friends" from outside. "The medical benefit of this transition should also not be forgotten. Instead of waiting days or weeks for tests, driving them by bus or taxi in the heat or cold, I have a doctor across the road with near-immediate availability. "
"Naturally," explains Doron Arnon, CEO of the Mediterranean Towers Network. "People today still continue to work until their late 60s, so interest in sheltered housing begins in their early 70s. In recent years, it appears that the reasons for moving to sheltered housing stem from a place of desire to improve quality of life, and less because of coercive events. We see that one of the reasons for moving to sheltered housing is also the desire of people to live a community life full of content and interest. "
"In recent years, competition in the field has increased," continues Arnon, "due to the entry of several new entities into the industry. In the protected housing industry, there is a great importance to the knowledge and experience of the entrepreneurs operating in the field, and therefore this constitutes a significant entry barrier for new entities wishing to integrate into the industry. Another significant point is that local competition, since most third-year-olds who are considering moving to sheltered housing, prefer to stay close to their place of residence. "
If we look at the dry setting, sheltered housing is actually a "premium nursing home" and is meant for people who want to preserve the independent lifestyle they have managed, but at the same time seek out the closed, reserved and secure community, a social setting for their peers. Sheltered housing institutions are scattered throughout the country, but mainly in the central area, in urban residential buildings, or in open spaces outside cities, a kind of closed village. The supply of apartments is wide and the price varies accordingly. Of course, there are single apartments and a couple apartment, but also in these categories are often different internal price categories.
The basic tenant service meets the need for security and professional medical supervision, two factors that are a daily concern for third-year tenants. These places also deal with boredom and inaction - each tenant is actually offered a timetable, which he can fill from early morning until evening, but it is not binding, and tenants, as independent and non-nursing residents, can manage their agenda as they wish.
Demand for sheltered housing, among those whose economic situation allows, is becoming increasingly tempting, creating a situation where "young people", meaning age 70 and sometimes less, are interested in the big change and transition.
"The target audience we meet and target is diverse and made up of retirees, independents and operators," describes Omri Cohen, CEO of the Mashan chain. "Some residents prefer to move to homes located in their area of residence, but some choose a location next to their family home. Our target age ranges from retirement to retirement age. "
Competition for any senior
"Each of the competitors tries to differentiate itself in different ways," says Iris Friedman-Sade, marketing manager for "Up to 120". "Some players offer low prices and non-deposit joiners, some emphasize the worlds of culture and content, others emphasize the quality and experience of staff, some specify the quality of tenants, and some emphasize the location of the homes and the quality of the housing units. The challenge, in the end, is Be precise about customer needs: location, size and design of medical units, quality and availability of medical services, quality of culture, activities and content, quality of staff, quality of tenants and creating a quality and supportive community. We are attentive to our tenants and are constantly examining their needs. , This by doing 'Q. And a roundtable "with them. We hear from them what their needs are, what they lack, and place an emphasis primarily on the worlds of culture and content."
The "Mediterranean towers" network has taken the theme of attractions and attractions a step further. The network has 1,650 apartments in seven different homes across the country, offering special classes such as Nordic Walking, Gaga Dancing, Graffiti and even a Theater Circle, during which the adults present their grandchildren each month. At the same time, the investment fund network invests in technological ventures aimed at preserving and improving the quality of life of third-year-olds.
Also, every few months a sports competition is held among the various breeders in a variety of endowments, and the winners represent the network at an annual championship. And above all, one of the things that causes the greatest happiness for the tenants is the "dream fulfillment project", which aims to fulfill the dreams and fantasies that have long existed for the tenants.