In situations where either one or both of your parents face declining functionality and require assistance with house chores or daily activities, it may be time to hire a nursing caregiver.

The decision to hire a nursing caregiver who is not a family member at home may sometimes be complicated, both for the parents who need help, and for you, the caregiving family members.

Occasionally, a caregiver may be enlisted to help for several hours per week, helping with household organization, grocery shopping, accompanying the parent to medical appointments, and other related tasks. In other instances, when patients need all-day supervision for performing their daily activities, it is worth considering the possibility of hiring a foreign caregiver within the comfort of their own home.

If you would like to hire a foreign caregiver, you can do so after proving your eligibility. You can check the conditions required (Hebrew) for employing a foreign caregiver on the Population and Immigration Authority website.

In older age, changes are challenging; therefore, it is sometimes difficult to acknowledge the need for assistance, let alone welcome an unfamiliar person into their home. Your parents may express complete refusal. It is advisable to prepare and even consider seeking guidance from a social worker when approaching the conversation with your parents about the possibility of engaging a non-family caregiver for assistance.

Acknowledging the fact that someone unfamiliar is helping to care for your parents, a role that may seem natural for you, can be challenging. However, it's essential to recognize that taking care of older parents can be a significant physical and emotional burden, especially when you already have a family and children to look after. An external caregiver can assist in managing your daily chores and tasks, enabling you to have the necessary time and emotional capacity to focus on nurturing your relationship with your older parents.

It is important to point out that resisting accepting a caregiver can be challenging, and providing support and guidance to the family throughout the process may be required.

Another option is hospitalization in a nursing institute, offering a round-the-clock supervision, close medical monitoring, and all the necessary amenities for daily living. This decision means moving to a new place.

There are two types of caregivers: Israeli caregivers employed by employment agencies on behalf of the National Insurance, and companies who deal with employment of foreign workers from abroad. Additionally, there is the option to hire a private caregiver independently.

Who qualifies to receive a nursing caregiver

The National Insurance Institute has established eligibility criteria to determine who qualifies for a nursing allowance and the level of entitlement. Once the nursing allowance has been determined, the recipient has the option to choose between two methods of receiving it: either through the provision of nursing services by a caregiver who visits their home to assist them, or by converting the allowance (or a portion of it) into a monetary payment. With the funds received, they can acquire nursing services from either a private company or an individual caregiver.

It is important to point out that the allowance is not exclusively allocated for nursing services.

Further information on nursing allowance.

To be eligible for receiving a full allowance to hire a close caregiver, certain conditions must be met:

Employing a foreign caregiver

In many cases, and mostly due to the scarcity of local caregivers for elderly individuals, coupled with the relatively high costs of employing Israeli workers, family members opt for foreign workers to provide care for their aging parents.

While hiring a foreign worker may offer cost advantages, it is important to consider that they often do not speak Hebrew, which can pose communication challenges for older parents attempting to interact with them. Communication challenges can significantly contribute to parental frustration and subsequently impact their mental and medical well-being.

Conversely, if the parents prefer a foreign caregiver speaking another language they speak as well (such as Yiddish, Russian, or Arabic), you can try and locate a caregiver who can communicate in their language, thereby creating a more comfortable environment for everyone involved.

Before reaching any decision, engage in open conversations with your parents, discussing the available options, advantages, and disadvantages. It is important to share various considerations openly and avoid presenting a predetermined decision about bringing a foreign worker into the home.

How to obtain a license for a foreign caregiver

To employ a caregiver from abroad, it is necessary to obtain a permit to employ a foreign worker. During this process, you will be required to provide approval that the foreign worker you wish to bring to Israel is intended for you and that they will stay in Israel legally.

The responsibility for this process lies with the Population and Immigration Authority (Hebrew).

A foreign worker residing at the patient’s home is paid for their full-time work, including additional benefits such as overtime pay, holiday pay, sick leave, etc.

It is important to note: An individual who employs a foreign worker for nursing caregiving purposes, even if they do not receive a National Insurance allowance, is required to pay insurance premiums of up to 2 percent on the wages paid to the foreign worker. Furthermore, as of August 2022, it is mandatory for every employer to report the details of the worker, regardless of the wage amount paid(Hebrew).

Over the age of 90 there is an automatic eligibility for hiring a foreign worker.

Foreign caregiver for both parents

If both parents receive a nursing allowance and they both reside in the same household and require the assistance of a foreign worker, it is possible to apply for a special permit allowing the same worker to care for them. To obtain a permit, follow the steps outlined below:

• If you employ the foreign worker directly, you can contact the nursing department of the relevant branch either through their website or by calling the call center at *2637

The wages of the nursing caregiver

An individual eligible for a nursing allowance can convert the allowance for money instead of services. In order to receive the funds, you must submit a request to the National Insurance Institute for a monetary allowance as an employer of a close caregiver.

The funds you receive can help you employ a caregiver. In certain cases, especially when patients require constant and round-the-clock supervision throughout the week, it may be necessary to supplement the caregiver's wages.

For complete information, visit the official website (Hebrew) of the National Insurance Institute