"We are a Generation of Slaves. We Support the Protests But do not Take to the Streets": Why Older Immigrants From the Former Soviet Union are not Part of the Protests Against the Judicial Overhaul in Israel.

Beginning in 2023, Israel has been the site of extensive protests against a proposed judicial overhaul, drawing widespread participation. However, there is a notable absence of older individuals from minority groups, particularly older immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU), within these protests. This study aims to explore the perspectives of this group on the judicial overhaul and to reveal the reasons behind their non-participation in the protests. The study involved semi-structured interviews with 20 older FSU immigrants (age 65+). Through thematic content analysis, two main themes emerged: the attitudes of FSU older immigrants towards the proposed judicial overhaul and the factors contributing to their non-involvement in the protests. Participants exhibited diverse opinions on the judicial overhaul, ranging from outright disapproval to ambivalence or indecision. The lack of participation in the protests was attributed to multiple factors, including (1) older age and age-related limitations, (2) unique historical experiences and characteristics of the FSU immigrant cohort, and (3) a lack of unified stance and organization within the FSU immigrant community. The study provides insights into the challenges and barriers faced by older individuals in FSU immigrant minority groups in engaging with political processes and decision-making. These findings are of significant importance to policymakers, researchers, and professionals working with immigrant communities. Understanding these dynamics can aid in developing more inclusive and representative political processes and support engaging mechanisms for older minority immigrants.

Identifying Stigmatizing Language Used by Israelis and Germans With a Mild Neurocognitive Disorder, Their Relatives, and Caregivers of People With Alzheimer's Disease.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to examine and compare the dementia-related discourse and language used by people with mild neurocognitive disorder (MND), their family members, and family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease in Israel and Germany. DESIGN: This secondary qualitative analysis included focus groups and semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to reveal the main discourses and stigmatic language used regarding dementia and people with dementia. SETTING: Israeli and German stakeholders. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-four Israeli and 44 German participants: 28 people with MND, 20 family members of people with MND, and 40 family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease. RESULTS: Two main discourses were identified: the tragedy and the biomedical discourse. The tragedy discourse included several subthemes: "Dementia as the worst-case scenario," "Nothing can be done about dementia," and "People with dementia are not human." The biomedical discourse stressed pathologic aspects of the condition. Similarities and differences were found between Israeli and German participants. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that, despite culture and language differences, the use of stigmatic discourse and stigmatizing language is common among people with close exposure to dementia in Israel and Germany. Efforts should be increased to develop a person-centered and dementia-friendly language.

"We Used to Have Four Seasons, but Now There Is Only One": Perceptions Concerning the Changing Climate and Environment in a Diverse Sample of Israeli Older Persons.

Solastalgia is the pain caused by the loss of solace and isolation from one's environment. Solastalgia is contrasted with nostalgia, which is defined as melancholy characterized by homesickness or the distance from one's home. The present study examines the two concepts of solastalgia and nostalgia in the context of climate change among diverse populations of older Israelis. In total, 50 older persons from four different population groups (e.g., veteran Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs, immigrants from the former Soviet Union, and Ethiopian immigrants) were interviewed. All interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Members of all four groups expressed emotional distress and grief associated with the changing climate, increased environmental pollution, and the disappearance of nature. Perceptions around the undesirability of these changes were quite unanimous, thus leading us to conclude that the outcomes associated with solastalgia and nostalgia are quite similar despite different etiological explanations.

Exploring the Motivations for Completing Advance Care Directives: A Qualitative Study of Majority/Minority Israeli People Without Dementia.

Background: Completing advance directives has been declared an essential instrument for preserving and respecting the autonomy and preferences for end-of-life care of people living with dementia. However, research deciphering the reasoning behind the decision to complete or not advance directives in the case of dementia remains limited, especially among people pertaining to different majority/minority groups. Objectives: To explore the motivations of people without dementia in Israel to complete or not to complete advance directives and to compare these motivations among the majority veteran Jewish group, the minority Jewish Former Soviet Union immigrant group, and the minority Arab group. Methods: This qualitative study used purposive sampling and focus groups with discussions elicited by a vignette. A total of 42 Israeli people without dementia participated in 6 focus groups: two with veteran Jews (n = 14), two with Jewish immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (n = 14), and two with Arabs (n = 14). The analysis followed recommended steps for thematic content analysis. Results: Four overarching themes were identified: (1) the meaning of dementia-related advance directives, (2) motivations for willingness to complete advance directives, (3) motivations for not being willing to complete advance directives, and (4) ethical dilemmas. Some of the themes were common to all groups, while others were informed by the groups' unique characteristics. Participants displayed a lack of knowledge and misunderstanding about advance directives, and central concepts such as autonomy and competence. Furthermore, stigmatic images of dementia and of the person with the diagnosis were associated to participants' motivations to complete advance directives. Conclusions: There is need to expand comparative research among culturally and socially similar and dissimilar groups within a country as well as between countries in order to better guide public health efforts to increase the rates of advance directives completion. Special attention should be paid to decreasing stigmatic beliefs and understanding unique cultural values and motivations.

Moral motivation regarding dementia risk testing among affected persons in Germany and Israel.

Recent advances in biomarkers may soon make it possible to identify persons at high risk for late-onset Alzheimer's disease at a presymptomatic (preclinical) stage. Popular demand for testing is increasing despite the lack of cure and effective prevention options and despite uncertainties regarding the predictive value of biomarker tests. This underscores the relevance of the ethical, cultural and social implications of predictive testing and the need to advance the bioethical debate beyond considerations of clinical consequences. Our qualitative study included three groups of affected persons: People with mild neurocognitive disorder, their relatives and family caregivers of people with dementia. We explored their moral motivations regarding predictive, biomarker-based testing and preclinical diagnostics. We interviewed affected individuals in Germany and Israel (N=88; 44 participants in each country). Transcripts of 12 focus groups and 12 semistructured interviews were content analysed with a focus on the moral motivations of affected persons in their justification of why they accept or reject predictive testing and early diagnosis. We grouped the underlying aspects of moral motivation into four ethical categories: beneficence as a form of personal utility focusing on well-being, the ties of responsibility linking families and their individual members, the importance of self-determination by later life planning and notions of a good life. In general, cultural parallels among these motives were very obvious. Cultural variation occurred mainly in openness to suicide, scepticism about test validity and emphasis on personal autonomy. The study underscores the importance of counselling for life-planning issues and of informing test candidates about problems with test validity and about the ambiguity of test results.

"From living in a hotel to living in a home": Stakeholders' views about living and working in a nursing home which is undergoing culture change.

Culture change models are intended to improve the quality of life and care of nursing home residents. Using longitudinal qualitative methodology, this study evaluated the effectiveness of implementing culture change on the main stakeholders living and working in an Israeli nursing home. Eight focus groups with nursing home residents, family members and staff members (N = 57) were conducted at two-time points: one year after and two years after implementing a culture change model. Using thematic content analysis and comparing the experiences of each group and across time, the results revealed that implementing culture change in a nursing home is a complex process, which requires am adaptation in the values, expectations, and perceptions of care of all those involved. Particular attention should be paid to the unique needs of each stakeholder group, while ensuring their engagement and cooperation in the change process.

Fear about Alzheimer's disease among Israeli and German laypersons, persons with Mild Neurocognitive Disorder and their relatives: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common type of dementia, is one of the most feared diseases, obstructing help-seeking, and leading to discrimination. While research interest in fear of developing AD is increasing, little is known about its characterization, triggers, and consequences, especially among different cultures. In this study, we aimed at exploring and characterizing AD fear as experienced by laypersons (LP), persons with Mild Neurocognitive Disorder (MND), and their relatives, in Israel and Germany. DESIGN: A qualitative study using focus groups (FGs) and semi-structured interviews was used. Thematic content analysis was conducted to extract key themes. SETTING: Israeli and German not yet diagnosed people. PARTICIPANTS: The study included a total of 130 participants (63 Israeli and 67 German participants) representing 3 groups: LP (n = 82), persons with MND (n = 28), and relatives of persons with MND (n = 20). RESULTS: Two overarching themes were identified across groups and countries: fear of developing AD and fear of stigmatization. Other types of fear, such as fear of a person with AD, fear about the impact of a diagnosis of AD on family members, fear of becoming a caregiver, and fear of losing one's self-determination because of developing AD, were specific to a group type or country. Different types of fear were awakened by different triggers, and were dealt with different coping strategies.