Giving dignity to end of life with Beacon of Care

Driven to fill a desperate gap for those who are often forgotten or abandoned and in need of urgent medical care, a Ballito doctor is calling for support for Beacon of Care.

Dr Helena Nothnagel said her journey with palliative care started at Parkside Oncology Clinic, Wimbledon, UK in 2006 and she has had a passion for it ever since.

Once back in South Africa, she volunteered at the Highway Hospice for two years before they moved to Ballito in 2013.

“I noticed early in my medical career that end of life issues are something a lot of doctors do not want to talk about. They often see it as failure if people die, but it is a part of life,” said Dr Nothnagel, who is a mother of two children.

“Thanks to the incredible medical advances over the years, we have doubled our life expectancy, but sometimes even the best medical practices are not enough to cure a patient. I feel strongly that when you get to the point where treatment options have been exhausted, it is crucial not to just give up and abandon the patient.”

Through palliative care – managing pain, nausea, radiation burns or psychological issues such as depression – Dr Nothnagel believes you can support the patient and offer them a sense of comfort.

“Doctors need to cure and to care. You might not be able to cure the cancer, but it is vital to care for the person.”

Also read: Community rallies as Ballito’s Nico Viljoen fights cancer battle

She said there is no co-ordinated hospice care in Ballito and surrounds and so she has founded a long-term dream of hers – Beacon of Care.

“Together with a fantastic team of highly skilled palliative professionals, we started this non-profit organization recently which is registered with the department of social development.”

Their vision is simple: making high-quality palliative care readily available for all patients with life threatening illnesses such as cancer, HIV/Aids or motor neuron diseases who are living on the North Coast.

To achieve this, they offer the following:

1. High quality medical, nursing, social, psychological and spiritual care to patients in their home environment or in a hospice facility.
2. Enhance the quality of life of those cared for and their families through a multidisciplinary approach enabling the patient to make the most of their remaining time with their loved ones.
3. Early recognition, prevention and treatment of pain and other distressing symptoms of their illnesses.
4. Education of health care workers, patients and families around palliative care.

Dr Nothnagel said while they can only offer house visits at the moment, they hope to one day have an in-patient hospice.

To get involved or donate to Beacon of Care, contact Dr Nothnagel at 065 135 5214, send a mail to info@beaconofcare.co.za or visit their Facebook page – Beacon of Care.

Beacon of Care will be hosting an informative morning about palliative care service offered in Ballito starting at 11am at All Souls Church, Umhlali on May 16.

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