Donate items and support the elderly

SECUNDA – Although Rata Social Services is a child protection organisation, they also focus on family care.

According to Ms Sonja Smit, social worker at Rata, older people are often a neglected group in the society.

“However, we acknowledge that an older person is just as vulnerable as a child and therefore worthy of our protection,” said Ms Smit.

“We wish to reach out to the institutionalised elderly who are terminally ill or diagnosed with diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia.”

Ms Smit said older persons are often abandoned by their families for various reasons.

“The illness might be too traumatic for the family and therefore they leave the older person in the care of an institution, or due to family conflict or disagreements the family ties have been broken or in most cases, the children of the older person emigrated and left the older person behind.”

Ms Smit launched a project during which they want to provide in the basic needs of older people who are terminally ill and she asked the community to support them by donating, among other, face cloths, soap, wet wipes, body lotion, band aids, earbuds, tissues and blankets.

For more information, contact Rata at 017 631 1631.

Also read: A day in the life of a Secunda social worker from Rata