Researchers: Rabia Khalaila¹, Adi Vitman Schorr²

Background: The Nursing Insurance Law provides the option of a nursing aid benefits to those eligible under the conditions stated in the Law. The nursing aid benefits is usually used for services, but research has shown that there is an unequal distribution of services between residents of central Israel and its periphery. Furthermore, no research to date has studied the differences in quality of life between ethnic groups as well as the feeling of isolation in the context of using the nursing aid benefits.

Objectives: To examine the associations between ethno-geographic variables and QL and loneliness among elderly Israelis.

Method: This is a cross-sectional study comprising 360 elderly (65+) eligible for the long-term care benefit who attend elder day centers, representing three ethnic groups (long-time Jewish Israelis, immigrants from the FSU, and Arab citizens of Israel) in three regions (North, central Israel, and the South). Linear regression analyses, two-way ANOVA and Bootstrapping were applied to the research hypotheses.

Findings: It was found that QL of long-time Jewish Israelis was higher than Arab citizens of Israel and of immigrants from the FSU. QL of elderly resident in central Israel was found to be higher than those living in the South and North. The findings showed that immigrants from the FSU reported a higher level of loneliness than those of Arabs and long-time Jewish residents of Israel. Furthermore, elderly respondents living in central Israel reported greater loneliness than elderly respondents living in the North and the South.

Conclusions: The study showed ethno-geographic differences in QL and feeling of loneliness among elderly Israelis eligible for long-term care benefits who attend elder day centers.

Recommendations: Policymakers should structure intervention programs to improve QL and close the ethno-geographic gaps to decrease loneliness among the elderly.

Research end date: 11/2018