North care facility needs volunteers
The home is a specialised medical care facility for people living with terminal illnesses.
Residentia Life at Residentia Hermon in Pretoria North needs volunteers who enjoy spending time with older people.
The palliative care facility in the north aims to improve the quality of life for people living with terminal illnesses.
The home caters to patients 60 years and older.
Manager Lize Strauss said the volunteers should be able to spare a few hours a week to spread joy and interact with the patients to keep them busy and hyped.
“Reality is that the patients need people who they can interact with daily.
“Some of them have no family nearby or none at all, so they need to get people to show them love that reminds them of their loved ones,” said Strauss.
The home offers loving and quality care to the elderly in an environment adorned by trees and flowers.
Strauss said most of the patients suffer from dementia and the volunteers will play a huge role in helping to create a life-affirming and caring environment for the elderly.
“Since the winter season is creeping in, we need help in fixing our bathrooms because it’s been a long time since they were fixed.
“We have about six bedridden pensioners and we also need nappies for other pensioners,” said Strauss.
Strauss said the home has six available beds.
“There’s no process to volunteering, if you want to come and volunteer then do so.
The patients need to get stimulated and as active as possible,” said Strauss.
Tshwane MMC for health Rina Marx welcomed the opening of the facility last year.
She said the objective of the facility is to improve the quality of life for patients as well as their families.
“The primary focus of a palliative [home] is to provide relief from the symptoms of illness. It can also reduce the stress associated with the illness.”
Marx said there’s a dire need for funding of palliative care facilities given the fact that not everybody has medical aid.
In Gauteng, only 12 of 19 palliative facilities receive funding from the provincial government.
“As such, many operate as non-profit organisations and rely solely on donations,” Marx said.
She said it was important that a professional and kind team takes care of patients.
She stressed that all patients must be treated with dignity, empathy, patience, compassion and integrity.
“We must adopt a people-centred approach when dealing with patients,” said Marx.
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