Sad news for elderly
An adult choral group, two local primary school choirs, and a guitar and drummer duo provided entertainment on the day to celebrate Mandela Day.
Amid the joy and jubilation of celebrating the birthday of beloved icon former president Nelson Mandela last Thursday, residents at the Vosloorus Old Age Home received news that the institution may have to close down by May next year.
The old age home’s manager, Sechaba Mathenjwa, told the estimated 200 pensioners, community representatives and guests on Mandela Day, told them the Department of Social Development will have to close down the old age home if certain alterations are not undertaken to its existing structure.
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Mathunjwa told the attendees the department has pointed out the double-storey section of the building, which is also the living quarters for about 100 residents, needs to undergo structural alterations in order to comply with legislation requirements.
“We have been instructed to install an elevator or build a ramp to enable the elderly access between the floors. We have also been given one year to see to it that these alternative requirements are up and running by May 2020,” said Mathenjwa, who confirmed to Kathorus MAIL that this is not the only major crisis facing the facility.
Mathenjwa urged the residents to remain strong in their prayers and ask for divine intervention to see the establishment through its current problems. He cited the outreach programmes of the home’s field workers as deserving of support.
“These young ladies visit the elderly in their homes and provide home-based care, such bathing, changing their clothes and basically take general care of them for a day of two,” explained Mathenjwa.
He described the current winter as having had an adverse effect on the the eldery both at their homes and at the old age home, especially when the electricity supply at the old age home was cut-off pending an unpaid amount. He added, however, that part of the Eskom bill has been settled and the home has switched to a prepaid account, but insisted that the old age home’s financial woes were far from over.
“Although we do receive support from the Department of Social Development, it is never enough to cover all our basic needs for us to run the day-to-day affairs of the facility as well as its satellite programmes, such as home-based care, adequately. It is just never enough,” said Mathenjwa, who also told the attendees that the department’s funding allocations are not guaranteed. “You may ask for R5-million and they can only provide R2-m, the rest you will have to source from somewhere else.
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A musical concert to help raise funds for the elderly
“That is why we are appealing to our local business people to come forward and give us a hand to keep this facility running. You’ll never know, you might end up here yourself one day,” joked Mathenjwa.
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