Summer, simchas, and family reunions bring moments of joy—but for many families with aging parents in Israel, they also reveal the hidden challenges of long-distance caregiving. In this heartfelt reflection, Sharon Beth-Halachmy explores the emotional and practical realities of supporting elderly parents across continents, offering insight, understanding, and gentle guidance for families navigating care from afar.

“Mom always liked you best!” went the old Smothers Brothers comedy routine. Sibling rivalries. Dating back to the story of Cain and Abel, they are deeply woven into the tapestry of human interaction. Most fervent in early years — children vying for the love and attention of a parent — they tend to fade as siblings carve out their niches in adulthood. But later, as aging parents begin to need care, sibling rivalries can unexpectedly resurface — coloring decisions about care an

(This article originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post.) Remember the movie Yours, Mine and Ours? Based loosely on a real-life family, the comedy-drama told the story of two widowers who fell in love and married, ultimately “blending” their combined 18 (!) children into one big happy family. Of course, there were all sorts of issues along the way – but in true Hollywood fashion, it all worked out in the end. Having guided tens of families through the maze of caring for aging

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… Chanukah in Israel is a special time; a full week plus of dancing lights, fancy donuts, songs and games. Whether your tradition is to fry up some latkes, sufganiyot, or sfinj, most everyone shares the tradition of getting together for a family Chanukah celebration. But let’s admit it, holiday festivities often come with their share of stress – even more so when you have a parent or loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia. Ada

“When you comin’ home dad?” “I don’t know when But we’ll get together then. You know we’ll have a good time then…” -Cat’s in the Cradle, Harry Chapin As care management professionals, my team and I have worked with hundreds of adult children grappling with the challenges of caring for an aging parent. Every family comes with its own personality, its own history, and its own family dynamic. But one situation is particularly complex, and more common than one may think: an adul

“The real gift of care management is for people to know there is help when they need it, because the needs often come on suddenly and it’s very overwhelming.” – Sharon Beth Halachmy We’re delighted to share this recent article on B’Lev Shalem that appeared in New Jersey’s largest Jewish weekly, the Jewish Standard, as well as in The Times of Israel. The article describes our services, such as helping elderly parents make Aliyah, and features a few of our amazing Care managers

The “sandwich generation” is a rapidly-growing group of people that are “sandwiched” between taking care of family members and trying to hold a job. According to the Pew Research Center, 23% of adults in the US are now part of the “sandwich generation,” a rapidly-growing group of people “sandwiched” between caring for multiple generations of family members and trying to hold a job or navigate a career, all with little or no support. The emotional, financial and physical dema

(This article originally appeared in The Times of Israel.) The time is now to put systems in place to care for aging loved ones when you can’t be there. Beginning with the fifth commandment to “honor thy mother and father,” the desire to care for our parents as they age is deeply rooted in Jewish religion and culture. Historically, it was a family affair: three generations routinely lived together, collectively caring for parents, grandparents and other elderly relatives. But

Communicating with someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia can be challenging. Your loved one may have difficulty expressing her or himself or understanding you, and you may have a hard time understanding what she or he is trying to communicate. There’s potential for misunderstanding, confusion or frustration in both directions, which in turn makes communication even more difficult. But there are strategies to learn and improve communication skills that wil

When Miriam came to Israel, she practically ran the Jerusalem-based assisted living facility she moved into. “She organized lectures for...

Your phone rings. It’s your father’s in-home caregiver. “It’s Mary,” says the voice on the other end of the line in her familiar accented...

As your parents age, chances are that they will need increasing levels of assistance with one or more of their daily activities. In all...

You care so much. And you’re so far away. Trying to manage your parent’s care (or even stay updated and involved) from another country...

If you are managing a workplace in Israel, you surely know which of your employees has kids at home. Chances are you offer them some...

It sounded so easy. “Mom, it’s time to hire a caregiver”. Except it was everything but easy. Despite your perception of her obvious need,...

“Stop yelling at me!” You close your eyes. Once, not so long ago, but now far, far away, you had a loving, close, sharing relationship...