Summary

Since the early 1980s demographic changes compelled Israel’s health system to dedicate efforts to establish modern geriatric services. This task was performed with the help of governmental and non-governmental institutions and was coordinated by the Division of Geriatrics and Long-Term Care Diseases of the Ministry of Health. Today, 20 years later, as a result of those efforts, geriatrics and geriatric services in Israel are thriving. Qualified staff, including physicians who specialized in geriatrics, are working to maintain a high quality of care in various geriatric settings. However, more resources should be allocated for research in order to maintain and to continue to develop geriatric medicine in Israel.