World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually on October 10.
“People who have who have mental health challenges need a lot of love and understanding, plenty of care and definitely stimulation,” said Kathy Jooste, chief executive officer of the Avril Elizabeth Home for the Mentally Handicapped.
Jooste, speaking ahead of World Mental Day, said: “Having cared for the intellectually challenged for the past 43 years, the home has increasingly discovered how important stimulation is for the promotion of growth and independence of those with mental and physical handicaps.
“Our stimulation and education centre has become the heart of the home.”
The home uses music, swimming, baking, basic computer work, arts and crafts, hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and remedial speech therapy to stimulate the residents, as well as encouraging them to perform simple tasks, such as feeding and dressing themselves, brushing their own teeth and speaking and writing.
“Each person has different needs and abilities and we make use of all the medical knowledge, training and skills at our disposal to create a programme that best suits them; that’s the key to the success of the centre,” added Jooste.
“Even the most profoundly disabled person is catered for.”
The costs involved in running a stimulation centre like the one found at the Avril Elizabeth Home are high.
Jooste explained: “The centre has to be equipped with the right kind of toys and instruments and also the right kind of human resources.
“In addition, there are maintenance requirements and some of the therapy items need to be constantly replenished, such as the art and craft supplies.
“The progress can sometimes be slow; this means that supplies and equipment will be needed on a continuous basis.
“Last year one of our residents, who is now 50 years old, learnt how to read and write after many years of therapy.
“Another example is that of a little girl with unknown disabilities who was abandoned outside the home’s gate; she finally stopped crying and is smiling after two years.
“But that was the result of two years of daily stimulation and therapy.”
Some residents, especially those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or autism, benefit from the soothing environment of the home’s new Snoezelen Room.
The room uses lighting effects, colour, sounds, music, materials and scents to deliver stimuli to various senses.
“One of our residents, Thokozani, who also has ADHD, is often found standing unusually still, staring at the lights; it seems to calm him, as well as our other residents who are sometimes aggressive,” Jooste said.
World Mental Health Day is not only an opportune time to celebrate the advances made in medicine and therapy with regard to mental health, but also a chance to raise government’s and individuals’ awareness of the challenges faced by people suffering from mental handicaps, as well as the financial and human resources needed by the facilities that care for them.
To find out more about Avril Elizabeth Home, or to find out how to donate, go to www.avril.org.za, or contact the home 011 822-2233.
