(haipo) - About 65,000 of Haifa's residents are senior citizens, of which about 7,000 are citizens. The abrasive and challenging war did not escape them either, and for many of them it is a particularly complex struggle.
How do Haifa veterans deal with the situation? Where do they get support from? Who cares for their well-being during this time? The Hai Pa system spoke with the deputy mayor and chairman of the Haifa retirees' faction, Israel Savion, in order to try to understand how this population experiences the daily reality in the shadow of the war.
As the war continues and Haifa becomes a frequent target, the testimonies about the tribulations of the elderly around the challenges it poses, especially in regards to protection, difficulty in mobility and not least - the loneliness, multiply.
Many of Haifa's older residents live in old buildings, some of which have no shelters at all, while others have shared shelters on the ground floor or in basements. Naturally, many of them experience great difficulty in going down to the lower floors quickly when alarms sound, so they will usually give up in advance and remain without protection.
Along with the physical difficulties, there is a growing sense of loneliness, especially for those who live in their homes, or who have difficulty moving and making contact with the outside world, for one reason or another.
In a conversation with Savion, the representative of the activists for the elderly residents of Haifa, a disturbing picture emerges: of the approximately 65,000 elderly residents in Haifa, approximately 2,000 are defined as respiratory support - people dealing with breathing problems or nursing patients who are in home isolation and treated by foreign workers.
Since October 7, an aid center for senior citizens named after the late Shmuel Gantz has been operating in Haifa, operated by local volunteers. The center's activity is mainly concerned with conversations with urban residents, with the aim of understanding their needs and providing them with assistance as needed. As the war continued, the hotline's activity focused on those on respiratory support, with about 1,000 conversations with residents so far, in order to find out their condition and provide a response to critical needs.
Due to the ongoing risk, the volunteers work from their homes, since the office rented for the center is not protected. However, the activity continues thanks to generous support from donors, including Shmulik Itzik, the former minister of welfare, and the Gantz family, along with other donors who chose to remain anonymous.
Loneliness, accompaniment and daily assistance
"Haifa's older residents, especially the elderly among them, are facing a variety of problems these days, says Savion. "Among the urgent needs - accompaniment to buy medicine, receiving medical treatment, purchasing groceries from the supermarket and help with home repairs. The municipality has opened a special bureau for the residents of Kiryat Haim, which operates on Monday mornings, between 10:00 and 12:00, where Finny and Gaman are, together with Ami and the deputy chairman of the Kiryat Haim Board, and they receive an audience."
Psychological assistance and emotional support
The mental difficulty does not spare any of the senior citizens, therefore a resilience center was established in the city that provides mental support to citizens who need it. Savion points out that many suffer from low mental resilience due to the ongoing war, and the hope is that with the widespread organization the city will be able to reduce the mental damage caused to the residents.
The main recommendation for citizens is to obey the orders of the Home Front Command, which have saved many lives since the beginning of the war. Savion would like to thank the mayor, the director general of the municipality and the director of the security division, who are managing the crisis in an impressive manner, while holding regular situation assessments at the crisis management center.
"Haifa's older residents are facing unique challenges in this period, but thanks to the city's organization and the efforts of volunteers, there is hope for a significant improvement in their condition, both physically and mentally," Sabion concludes.
There is no doubt that Yona Yahav increases the feeling of insecurity among the city's residents, both young and old, when he sends hunters to shoot every night between the houses, even these days.
Their last video footage from two days ago.
To add more tension and terror to the city, the mayor sends hunters to shoot firearms in the streets, under windows, and near residents as documented. Amidst the alarms and interceptions, the mayor's sides fire firearms in the night.
All the best to you Samar for the article. Happy holidays to everyone, happy holidays.
This is not true. No one ever spoke to me despite the difficulties.
The Lord is right that young people who serve, who try to make a living, take care of their families, take care of their elderly parents, take care of their friends in the reserves, who work in places without protection, who live in old rented apartments without shelters, who have to pay eroding property taxes that will only rise in January -
For them there are no pressures, no difficulties, no anxieties.
This is the problem of an elderly council that does not see the majority of the public in the city...
The photo of Savion smiling a satisfied smile does not fit the article. The difficulty I am not lonely, I live with a foreign nanny, two sons also live in Haifa, but even I feel the difficulty during the hours. The long evenings when darkness falls early and another precedent with the moving of the sun
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