Eshel: Planning and Development of Services for the Aging ^Non-Profit

Eshel is Israel's social research and development incubator, tasked with developing comprehensive responses to the complex challenges faced by Israeli society with the aging of its population. Eshel is the association for the planning and development of services for older adults and their families in Israel. Eshel brings together and serves as an "honest broker" between government ministries, prominent stakeholders, and professionals involved in the care of older adults. In partnership, these groups work to ensure older adults live independent, satisfactory and dignified lives, while easing the responsibility of care on the family and welfare/health systems. Eshel functions under the auspices of the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), an American based NGO, which provides relief, rescue and reconstruction services to Jewish and non-Jewish clients around the world. JDC-Eshel aims to improve the wellbeing of vulnerable older adults in Israel by advancing their autonomy, functional ability and independence. It will accomplish this by embedding a person-centered approach, providing a continuum of services, and assimilating coordinated care throughout the system.