VEREENIGING – Staff and patients at Vereeniging’s Wide Horizon Hospice recently marked a bittersweet chapter in the care home’s story. July 28 was a particularly emotional day for the Wide Horizon family as they mourned the loss of one of their own.

The Vereeniging patient, a well-loved resident, had courageously battled cancer for more than five years before being admitted to Wide Horizon, where he spent his final days surrounded by compassionate care and support.

The NPO, now under Stepping Stone Hospice management, offers specialised palliative care to patients grappling with life-limiting illnesses and conditions. The late patient’s passing marked the hospice’s first patient death since the new era, making the day especially significant for staff.

In keeping up with Stepping Stone’s long-standing tradition, staff formed a guard of honour as the patient was taken from the hospice for the final time. This is a deeply meaningful tradition that has now been introduced at Wide Horizon, ensuring every patient is remembered with dignity, respect and compassion.

“He came to us recently, and in that short time he became part of our family,” said Wide Horizon Hospice CEO, Tersia Burger.

“Our staff grew close to him the way you do when you sit with someone through their hardest days. When he passed, there wasn’t a dry eye in the ward.”

When the funeral parlour arrived to collect the late patient, Wide Horizon staff formed a guard of honour as their final act of care for the patient, for the family, and for themselves as they processed the loss too.
Flowers were cut from the hospice’s own garden and given to the family to place on the shroud as their loved one was carried from the ward.

“Staff members do not return to work immediately afterwards; instead they wait until the hearse has left the grounds before slowly making their way back inside,” explained Sr Margi Bollman, general manager at Wide Horizon Hospice.

Show your support

Wide Horizon recently took a generator on lease to ensure patients are never left without power during load shedding or unexpected outages, but the cost of running it is high, and the hospice is appealing to the community for assistance in covering it.

“Our patients depend on us for round-the-clock care, and that doesn’t stop when the power goes off. We’d be so grateful for any support the community can offer towards our generator costs, so we can keep giving our patients the dignity and comfort they deserve,” Burger said.

Members of the public wishing to assist Wide Horizon can contact the hospice directly for more information on 016 428 1410 or via email: info@hospicevaal.co.za.