Family Care in our Aging Society: Policy, Legislation and Intergenerational Relations: The Case of Israel

Firm policy guidelines are of increasing importance to intergenerational family support and care. This is particularly so in countries currently considering reform of their long-term care systems. The primary goal of the current study is to further understanding of the way current legislation supports family caregivers assisting aging-in-place. This paper examines how legislation in Israel supports family caregivers who are complementary key factors to the formal care system within the long-term care policy. Taking evidence indicating that family caregivers experience burdens which undermine their wellbeing and strength into account, this study employs a case study research design for investigating how laws legislated in Israel beyond the community long-term care insurance law (CLTCI) support family members who have the responsibility of caring for frail older relatives. The findings reveal that the aid supplied by the existing laws is limited, mainly because they apply only in extreme cases where the elderly need constant supervision or care in institutions. Thus, their contribution to most families is only partial. The Israeli case offers valuable lessons, even acknowledging differences in national long-term care policies. Each nation faces challenges to securing informal care systems as a complementary resource to formal systems. By introducing a specific case study at the legislative level this paper contributes to our understanding of aging-in-place policies. Burdens of care and the need for secure wellbeing of families with eldercare responsibility are addressed, with important implications for public policy.