Hospice’s inpatient unit closes
Hospice is still open and operational despite the unit's closure.
SOUTH Coast Hospice recently announced the closure of its eight-bed inpatient unit, Kingfisher House.
This tough decision was made by hospice’s executive board members at the end of its financial year, March 2014, when once again, South Coast Hospice Association, despite every effort, continued to show a financial loss. Hospice’s inpatient unit has been open since 1994.
“God willing and future funding permitting, we hope that this is on a temporary basis,” said Diane van Dyk, hospice’s chief executive officer.
Mrs van Dyk iterated that hospice is not closed and will continue to provide palliative care to 460 patients including families and children. She thanked all community members who have supported them during the past 31 years and urged them to continue to support and represent them as ambassadors for the work that they do.
“Support and care for all patients on hospice’s various programmes will continue,” she assured.
It was agreed that, in order to sustain the South Coast Hospice Association, urgent action needed to be taken across all departments.
Mrs van Dyk said the 24-hour inpatient unit was the most cost intensive arm of hospice’s operation and needed to be urgently reviewed in terms of cost-effectiveness. “This is against a backdrop of reduced funding from major donors and rising costs,” she said.
Mrs van Dyk said this has come as a blow as the inpatient unit represented palliative care at its best.
“We will be exploring various cost-efficient models to enhance the provision of the highest quality of palliative care,” she said.
She explained that every effort will be made to network even more closely with the local hospitals to promote quality palliative care for patients who need admission.
The quality palliative care and family support will continue under the following programmes: integrated community home-based care; urban and rural orphans and vulnerable children (OVC); day care; grief and bereavement, social work services; MDR-TB; the HWSETA accredited training academy and the newly acquired care and support mobile clinic.
In all future planning, hospice’s board medical director, Doctor Hilton Horsley, medical officer, Doctor Andre Nell, together with founder Kath Defilippi and other interested parties will meet to discuss the way forward.
Sadly, there are only two inpatient units left in KwaZulu-Natal.
