It is considered one of Israel's leading geriatric rehabilitation hospitals, thanks to its skilled team, dedication, innovation, special treatments designed for the elderly, and unique structure nestled between gardens and well-maintained green spaces. Now, to expand and add much-needed hospital beds, the hospital, founded 73 years ago, requires donations for renovating a new ward and establishing a national training center for geriatric caregivers. "We call on donors from Israel and around the world to be brave and support those who built the state," says the director of the Samuel Harofe Geriatric Medical Center.
"Rise before the aged and honor the elderly" (Leviticus 19:32)
In the heart of Be'er Yaakov, amidst cultivated gardens and tranquil green corners, stands a medical institution that testifies to Israel's commitment to its aging population. The Samuel Harofe Geriatric Medical Center, established in 1951, serves as a beacon of hope and healing for thousands of veteran citizens, including Holocaust survivors and many who helped build the State of Israel. Samuel Harofe is the only geriatric center that accepts patients with internal and acute diseases directly from the emergency room, just like any general hospital ward, but provides these patients with a unique, holistic treatment approach tailored to elderly patients. Additionally, the hospital has rehabilitation departments with advanced treatments and innovative equipment, and departments dedicated to palliative care, aimed at reducing suffering for patients in their final stages of life.
This critical institution is seeking 18 million shekels for two vital projects: renovating a ward that will allow for essential care for additional patients and establishing an innovative national training center for geriatric caregivers, which has not yet been created in Israel and could substantially contribute to training dedicated teams and even help attract high-quality personnel to the noble geriatric profession.
A Life-Changing Donation
"Most donors prefer to support famous hospitals like Ichilov, Sheba, and Beilinson," explains Dr. Batya-Nadya Kagansky, director of the Samuel Harofe Geriatric Medical Center. "But our aging population, especially Holocaust survivors, deserve facilities that match the level of care we are committed to providing. We call on donors from Israel and around the world to be brave and support those who built the state. Perhaps a donation to a large hospital in the center is more glamorous and easier to communicate, but if someone decides to donate to a medical institution to change lives, I invite them to come visit us to understand the great kindness they will do."
The geriatric center, which currently has 341 beds, is affiliated with Tel Aviv University's Medical School and operates as a comprehensive geriatric care center, offering various services - from urgent internal medicine to long-term skilled rehabilitation and nursing. What distinguishes the Samuel Harofe Hospital is its unique campus model, where separate buildings connected by garden paths create a comfortable, pleasant, and inviting environment for older patients.
Since 1990, for 34 years now, the Samuel Harofe Rehabilitation Geriatric Center has been hosting training courses and conferences for medical teams, with the goal of deepening community physicians' knowledge of elderly diseases in key areas of geriatric medicine and rehabilitation. The hospital trains qualified medical, nursing, and para-medical staff in all departments and units and serves as a clinical field for medical and nursing students.
The hospital's rehabilitation departments are staffed by multidisciplinary teams including geriatric specialists, academic nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and social workers. These professionals work together to help patients recover from neurological and orthopedic conditions, focusing on returning them home when possible.
Improved Multidisciplinary Care for the Elderly
An example illustrating the hospital's commitment to maintaining quality of life for its most vulnerable patients can be found in the long-term ventilation department. The team implemented a unique and exceptional project allowing ventilated patients to spend time in the external courtyard, equipped with special infrastructure for visual and auditory stimulation.
Elderly patients arriving at general hospital emergency rooms are typically admitted to internal wards not specifically designed for elderly care. The Samuel Harofe Geriatric Center, unique among geriatric centers in the country, receives such patients directly from the emergency room into geriatric internal wards. In these wards, a team of geriatric specialists treat patients, with each patient receiving a room housing only two patients. Dynamic mattresses are provided for each bed to prevent pressure sores, and each bed has a television screen at no cost (unlike general hospitals) to maintain patients' cognitive state. Moreover, a rehabilitation team joins the patient's treatment, along with many other actions specifically designed for the elderly population.
The hospital's management has been working feverishly in the past year on the first project: renovating an existing empty ward. The renovation will allow the hospital to once again admit patients to the ward and provide the service that the elderly population desperately needs. "Our medical treatment is excellent, but the hospital's physical infrastructure needs updating to align the building and treatment rooms with the standard of care we provide," says Ahuva Zabari, nursing services manager. "Modern medical facilities not only improve efficiency; they restore dignity to our patients."
The ward renovation costs 13 million shekels, with all plans and approvals already in place. They just need to begin work, after which the hospital will be able to provide its services in modern, contemporary, and most importantly, respectful conditions.
As part of the second project, costing 5 million shekels, the hospital will establish a national training center for geriatric caregivers. This initiative could transform elderly care throughout Israel by providing dedicated and unique training for healthcare professionals from all regions of the country.
"As our aging population grows, the need for skilled geriatric care becomes increasingly critical," explains Ayelet Mendelovitz, administrative director of the Samuel Harofe Geriatric Medical Center. "This training center will ensure that best practices in elderly care are disseminated across the entire nation."
Do Not Cast Me Aside in Old Age
The hospital has already proven its commitment to innovation by implementing advanced technology, including the Early-Sense system for continuous patient monitoring and fall prevention, dynamic mattresses to prevent pressure sores, computerized medical record systems, and the Cognition program for cognitive treatment of hospitalized patients, especially those who have suffered a stroke or suffer from diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and others. However, maintaining and expanding these services requires ongoing support.
"Do not cast me aside in old age; when my strength fails, do not abandon me" (Psalms 71:9), this commandment resonates with our mission to ensure dignified and dedicated care for every person in their final days, regardless of race, gender, nationality, or religion. This approach reflects the highest ideals of medical care and Jewish values of kindness and charity, they explain to me.
For potential donors, supporting Samuel Harofe offers an opportunity to profoundly impact the lives of Israel's aging population. While other medical goals might seem more glamorous, few investments can compete with the immediate and ongoing impact of improving care for the generation that chose to leave their familiar and comfortable place for the sake of immigration and building a flourishing Jewish state for us and future generations.
"The hospital's vision of becoming a leading medical center based on values of dedication, quality, and commitment to the aging population can only be realized with community support," concludes Dr. Batya-Nadia Kagansky, director of the Samuel Harofe Geriatric Medical Center. "As Israel's population ages, the importance of institutions like Samuel Harofe will only grow."
Those interested in supporting these vital projects can contact the hospital administration via email: hanhala.sh@moh.gov.il, by phone at 08-9258600/603, or through the hospital's website (at: https://www.shmuelh.org.il/). Every donation helps ensure that Israel's founding generation receives the care and respect they deserve in their later years.
Quotations for the Article:
Dr. Batya-Nadia Kagansky, Director of the Samuel Harofe Geriatric Medical Center:
"Perhaps a donation to a large hospital in the center is more glamorous and easier to communicate, but if someone wants to donate to a medical institution to change lives, I invite them to come visit us so they can understand what we're talking about."
Ahuva Zabari, Nursing Services Manager, Samuel Harofe Geriatric Medical Center:
"Our medical treatment is excellent, but the hospital's physical infrastructure needs updating to align the building and treatment rooms with the standard of care we provide."