AKIM provides two choices of community-based housing for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who cannot be cared for at home, or choose to live in one of these facilities
Group Homes – AKIM Israel has built and currently operates 15 group homes that provide supervised accommodation for 415 persons with moderate to severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is their home; it is the place where they acquire basic skills and confidence, so they can function in mainstream Israeli society.
Among the 15 group homes operated by AKIM Israel, 3 are operated specifically to serve the senior population with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities live longer due to improved health care and social services. These older adults have unique and challenging needs, particularly those people over the age of 40, who suffer from a marked deterioration of functioning. These individuals need a facility geared toward their special needs.
Apartments – As part of AKIM Israel’s desire to reach a full inclusion and participation, including residential facilities, in the community, AKIM maintains and operates 33 community-based apartments, throughout Israel, housing 4-6 residents each; all apartments are located within residential areas. These apartments are targeted to those people who can live independently, with minor supervision.
30 additional apartments are “under contract”, and will be populated soon by several hundreds of persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
It is part of AKIM Israel’s Inclusion vision to integrate people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community, by leading their lives in community-based housing.
| Yossi Zvi, was elected as the new chairman of Friends of Akim Israel. Zvi has been in senior management positions in the business sector for the past 30 years and has headed a real estate and mall management company in recent years. “When I was asked to accept the position, I did not hesitate. I felt that now was my time to contribute and allow people to live a better life, “said Yossi Zvi at the meeting. |
| In 2020 Akim opened 7 new apartments in the community: in Kfar Saba, Karmiel, Yavne, and Rehovot. |
| AKIM Israel serves as guardian for more than 1,500 persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, regardless of their faith, ethnic background, age or sex |
| Rabbi Dr. Benyamin (Benny) Lau, who was elected on Sunday, June 20th, 2021, to be the new Chairman of Akim Israel, unanimously by the organization’s General Assembly members. Rabbi Benny Lau will serve as Chairman of Akim in place of Admiral (R) Ami Ayalon, who served in the position for 11 years, years in which he led significant processes in the organization, from establishing it as a human-focused organization, working to hear the voices of people with intellectual disabilities and to lead actions of the policy change and assimilation of positive attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities and their inclusion into Israeli society. |