Commission looks into retirement home’s ‘no visitors’ policy

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is investigating complaints that an old age home in Pretoria is refusing to let family or friends visit some of their residents.

This despite Covid-10 lockdown measures having been relaxed.

According to medical doctor Lynette Pretorius, whose parents stay at the retirement home, she and others were prohibited from visiting their parents and grandparents at Huis Herfsblaar near Pretoria central.

Current regulations stipulate that the public is allowed to have controlled visits at the elderly home facilities subject to guidelines by the Department of Social Development.

“The home allows residents to drive out and visit families,” she said.

“But my parents are very old (aged 83 and 82). It is really unfair to expect them to drive every time to visit us.

“The government has given us a window of when families and friends can visit. Prohibiting children to see their parents who have limited time to live is really sad.”

Pretorius said residents at the old age home have to apply to leave the old age home.

Once they overnight somewhere outside the home, they are expected to quarantine for 10 days.

“As a doctor, I know that taking care of the body only is not enough. Their psychological being is also important. It is important to allow visits.”

Harriate Buaga, a lawyer from the SAHRC, said they sent the old home’s management a complaint letter on the issue.

“We are still awaiting a formal written response to confirm whether they are amenable to mediation. The investigation is ongoing.”

Huis Herfsblaar manager James Black confirmed that he received the letter from the commission.

Black said the decision not to allow on-site visits for residents who were not bedridden was made after several residents said they did not feel safe having visitors despite the lifting of the ban.

“We have an obligation to protect the lives of both employees and the 470 elderly people we take care of,” he said.

“We are following the guidelines supplied by the Department of Social Development for old age home visits.”

Black said they only allowed visitors at the premises for bedridden, incapacitated residents.

“We have been doing this from the start to make sure the psychological well-being of these residents is maintained. We also need to maintain the 1,5m social distance. Due to the confined space, we require visitors to use the correct PPE.”

Visitors to the home, however, have to buy full PPE for R50 at the home’s gate.

“All we are doing is to defer costs so residents don’t need to fund it.”

He said there were only two cases in which families could not afford the PPE. In those cases, the home provided it for free.

Black believed that the case laid against the home was a result of differing interpretations of regulations.

“We informed the Pretorius family that the board of trustees does not believe that the latest regulations grant the public the right to gain free access to the premises.

“We are not preventing anyone from visiting family or friends. We are just asking that visits are not on the property as we need to ensure the safety of all residents, staff and visitors,” he said.

“The only way we can reduce the risk of spread is by reducing the number of visitors.”

“We already have employees coming from outside to take care of residents which is a compromise, but visits at the premises would be a problem. Many of the residents are against it.

Black said they allowed families to take residents to shops and medical visits.

The Department of Social Development had not clarified to Rekord by the time of print on the rights which guide of drafting of regulations for each institution.

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