NOFEI YERUSHALAYIM – Independent Living - Your Life, Your Way, Everyday

Nofei Yerushalayim is independent assisted living with added value: this nonprofit senior housing project in west Jerusalem is managed by its residents. House policy, budget allocation and lifestyle are all decided by its nine-member management committee, annually elected from among its residents, and implemented by the project’s skilled, professional manager and service staff. Subcommittees, each headed by a resident, run cultural, social and educational programs, outings, a library, cafeteria and local newspaper, volunteer work, security, applicant screening, visiting families and more.

Safety, accessibility and belonging are the guiding principles of Nofei Yerushalayim. Established 30 years ago by a group Jerusalemites, it began and remains staunchly pluralist, its diverse population embracing religious and secular, veteran Israelis and newcomers, according to its CEO, Avigail Duke. “The private apartments and the public spaces, both indoor and out, are beautifully designed and well-kept. The services are excellent, and the residents comprise a cohesive, caring and capable community, who determine their own independent lifestyle.”

It is resident initiatives, she continues, which underlie creation of a play area for visiting grandchildren and great grandchildren, and an activity center for the cognitively impaired. “Our newest resident-inspired project is Maaglei Dorot or the Turning of Generations, whose purpose is to reinforce the bond between residents and their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren with parties, shared activities and celebrations,” she says. “Our residents are well aware that remaining active and involved creates a happier, healthier and more productive third age.”

Nofei Yerushalayim’s residents live in private one- to three-room apartments, suitable for both couples and singles. Spacious and individually designed, all have emergency call buttons in every room (including the bathroom), as well as phone, wi-fi connection and air conditioning, whose use is covered by the maintenance fee. While each apartment is purchased ready for its tenant, residents may remodel their new home according to taste and need, supported throughout by project staff — from helping select a contractor and a designer (a specialist in interior design for assisted living is available) and supervising the work.

As well as a cozy and well-appointed apartment as home, Nofei Yerushalayim offers its residents a full-service package. It has a well-stocked minimarket, synagogue, gym, library, restaurant and swimming pool. Classes offered on the premises include exercise and fitness, drawing and painting, ceramics and crafts, chess and choir. There are regular lectures, outings, shows and concerts, as well as gift and clothing fairs and dances. Maintenance services are 24/7, and there are public rooms available to residents for private and family functions.

The physical environment at Nofei Yerushalayim is also safe and supportive. Quality 24-hour medical care and supervision are provided by a permanent staff of doctors, nurses, paramedics and night-duty medical interns. Familiar with each resident and his or her medical history, the medical team orders their prescriptions, checks their blood pressure, dresses wounds, takes blood and arranges other lab tests, checks glucose and vision, and visits residents both in their apartments and, when necessary, in hospital. All Nofei Yerushalayim residents are subscribed to NATALY medical emergency services. Should residents decline in function, they may bring in permanent help or move to Nofei's full-care nursing ward — for the short or long term, for convalescence, physical and occupational therapy.

Nofei Yerushalayim applicants are required to be normally independent and cognitively functional, and seeking to be part of a sharing and accepting community.

“Nofei Yerushalayim is a home, not an institution,” says Duke. “Residents here live the lives they choose. They pursue hobbies, volunteer, look after themselves or help others. They do what they want to do. Life at Nofei Yerushalayim is replete with interest and meaning.”

in collaboration with Nofei Yerushalayim