New leadership breathing life into Centurion care centre
The organisation is working on restoring vital services to the community as its new chapter begins.
A new board of governors at the Centurion Palliative Care Centre (CPCC), formerly known as Centurion Hospice, have embarked on a journey to rebuild the centre and restore its vital services to the community.
The board, officially appointed on February 7 following an annual general meeting (AGM) in January, has pledged to address several challenges.
These include financial constraints, infrastructural repairs, and regaining the trust of the public.
CPCC chairperson Niel Pelser said the new leadership is optimistic that the community’s support will help restore the centre to its former glory.
“It might not happen overnight as funds are needed to restore and repair the neglected buildings and gardens,” he said.
“However, the most important thing is to regain the trust of the community.”
Over the past year, the organisation faced significant financial struggles, which forced the closure of the inpatient unit, the Memory Lane coffee shop, and the discontinuation of palliative care services in the Centurion area.
The closures marked a challenging chapter for the organisation, which has served the community since 1997.
Dorothy Wye, the manager of the centre, emphasised the importance of creating awareness within the community.
“The new board is looking at getting things right again and starting home-based care for people,” she said.
Wye also shared that one of the centre’s long-term goals includes reinstating some of the services that were previously cut.
“We plan to reopen the inpatient unit and the Memory Lane coffee shop, as well as expand home-based care services,” Wye said.
While the reintroduction of these services will take time, the care centre is already taking steps to assist patients by collaborating with organisations like Caressa, which provides home-based care.
“We’ll refer patients to them until there is enough money to fix the care centre,” she added.
The task ahead is challenging taking into account the centre’s current state.
With no electricity, visitors at the facility rely on cellphone lights to navigate the darkened area.
“There are some things that need to be settled with the municipality, and as soon as that is finalised, the power will be back on again.”
Efforts to revitalise the property are already underway.
“We are busy cleaning up the place from scratch,” said Wye.
She said plans to renovate the buildings, repair the gardens, and install solar panels for electricity are on the horizon but require significant funding.
“Everything is going to cost money, and we’ve got to look and see what needs to be done first.”
While long-term plans focus on restoring flagship services, Wye highlighted smaller, immediate steps to engage the community and stabilise the centre.
The Legacy Shop, which sells donated items to help defer debt, remains operational, and a community market is planned for March 1 to raise awareness and support.
“The market will help us engage with the community and stakeholders,” she said.
“Any person or company that wishes to assist with goods, donations or services is invited to contact us.”
Dorothy Wye can be contacted at 072 268 3777.
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