This report was produced by a public committee which examined issues relating to people in nursing care, foreign caregivers and the employment of these caregivers in the field of nursing. One of the significant goals facing Israeli society is appropriate care for people with special needs resulting from disabilities (the elderly, and young people and children with disabilities). Since the beginning of the 90s, some assistance has been provided to this population by foreign workers.
Over the years, this subject has been accompanied by deliberations as to suitable arrangements that balance between the needs of the patients and the rights of the foreign workers, and about the effect on the Israeli economy, employment issues and society in general. Recent claims have arisen that it is difficult to recruit and place foreign workers. In light of a recommendation by the High Court, the Interior Minister decided to set up a public committee to clarify facts and to examine existing policy.
The committee’s recommendations are based on prior committees’ work (the Andoran Committee, the Sobol Committee and the Eckstein committee), and on statements by many people who testified before the committee. A major factual basis for the committee’s recommendations was the consolidation and processing of existing administrative data and collecting new data via surveys that it requested.
The report begins with the committee’s recommendations. The following chapters present an overall review of the services system, issues relating to employing foreign workers in the field of nursing and the background for establishment of the committee. The final chapter summarizes the quantitative data.