Surviving with dignity

I write on behalf of tens of thousands of elderly Israeli citizens who are being abandoned by the country that they and their families have served loyally over the years.

The situation is as follows: As we get older, many of us suffer from debilitating medical conditions. Although we can still stand on our feet, we are unable to manage in a normal way. We apply to the National Insurance Institute for assistance from a caregiver but are often turned down even though multiple doctors certify that we are unable to function on our own.

When you live alone, this is devastating. If one has the financial means to go into assisted living or hire a foreign worker, well and good. But what of those of us who have very limited financial means and cannot afford external help? At present, the NII authorizes some nine hours a week of assistance for those it finds totally handicapped, which increases to 21 hours in the most extreme cases.

I would suggest that it authorize a minimum of three hours per week for those individuals who cannot manage on their own but are still mobile. This would allow them to live their lives with some dignity. What is one supposed to do if one can no longer do the laundry or mop the floor?

I beg for a public outcry to help the elderly survive with dignity.

ANNABELLE HOROWITZ Petah Tikva

CORRECTION Unlike what was stated in “Will Amnesty lose its nonprofit status for anti-Israel activities?” (July 31), Amnesty International condemned the terrorist attack in which a Palestinian massacred three members of the Salomon family while they were eating dinner at home in Halamish on July 21. The condemnation came within a news release headlined “Amnesty International Israel: Appalled by politicians’ calls for the death penalty, condemns all violence against civilians.”