Fitness for work during the COVID-19 disease: principles and suggested assistive tool for protecting workers during the pandemic era.

OBJECTIVE: Amongst the many intricacies engendered by the COVID-19 pandemic was the posed risk of exposure to SARS-COV2 infections among workers and the need to evaluate fitness for work (FFW) of individuals in high exposure groups or those with background morbidity. A designated task force of the Israeli Association of Occupational Medicine has evaluated the relevant literature and published guidelines concerning medical work restrictions for employees in high-risk occupations during the epidemic of novel COVID-19. METHODS: The study depicts a case series of 17 FFW evaluations performed in Maccabi Health Services occupational clinics using the guidelines formulated by the Israeli Occupational Medicine Association. RESULTS: 17 patients, mainly healthcare workers, whose major health hazards were immunodeficiency, respiratory diseases and pregnancy, were assessed in this case series. We present the essential parameters of these FFW evaluations and discuss decision-making in selected cases. CONCLUSIONS: Applying guidelines in various work settings and health risk levels during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic allows for both patients' health preservation and efficient workforce deployment.

Socialized occupational medicine in Israel: past, present, and future.

Occupational health in Israel is unique as it was originally established as a socialized service which anchored in extensive legislation and is accessible to all employees and employers without copayment. We review historical processes and legal basis that led to current structure of public occupational medicine services in Israel. Some of these go back a century and others extend way back to biblical times. Representative case studies from the field are used to illustrate its scope of practice. Legislative changes that exempted the employers from participation in financing occupational health have led to severe budget cuts, jeopardizing the future provision and key principles of occupational healthcare. We discuss future aspects of recommended development vectors for policy making that will preserve the structure of occupational health services and benefits it offers to all workers in Israel.

Functional and Existential Tasks of Family Caregiving for End-of-Life, Hospitalized Older Adults.

The current study examined how functional and existential coping factors are related to the sense of self-benefit among end-of-life (EOL) family caregivers caring for hospitalized older adults. A convenience sample of 92 family caregivers was interviewed in two Israeli hospitals using a structured questionnaire based on Pearlin's stress process model. Findings show that engagement in EOL existential tasks and motivations, such as life review, spirituality, multigenerational family relationships, and preparation for death, acted as a coping resource and was positively related with caregivers' sense of self-benefit. However, functional caregiving did not act as a significant stressor, as it was weakly related to care-givers' sense of self-benefit. Findings discuss the importance of training health professionals to recognize and discuss existential concerns with EOL family caregivers. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 42(7), 55-64.].

Family caregiving to hospitalized end-of-life and acutely ill geriatric patients.

The article examines family caregiving to hospitalized older adults at the end of life (EOL). The stress stress process model was used to compare family caregiving in an EOL patient population (n=50) with family caregiving in an acutely ill elderly population (n=50) in a single Israeli hospital. A convenience sample of family caregivers was interviewed in the hospital using a structured questionnaire. Differences between the two groups were examined using contingency tables, t tests, and discriminant multivariate analysis. Findings show that family caregivers of EOL patients carry out few caregiving tasks and report a greater sense of overload and captivity. On the other hand, they attend to the patient for more days, mobilize more social network support, and report a comparable sense of reward and growth. These findings are discussed in the context of active verses passive caregiving and the significance of nursing support for family caregivers of EOL patients