The late Rev. Geoff Normanton, together with Paarl Rotary Club, and a group of volunteers established Paarl Hospice in 1991.
Renamed in 2007, Drakenstein Palliative Hospice is a non-governmental, Section 21 Company with membership of :
The Hospice Association of the Western Cape (HAWC) and The Hospice Palliative Care Association (HPCA) DRAKENSTEIN HOSPICE IS FULLY ACCREDITED BY COHSASA (Council of Hospital Services Accreditation of Southern Africa) until Sept 2011.
The current chairperson of the Board of Directors is Mr Adriaan Venter and the CEO is Elizabeth Scrimgeour. The Financial manager is Karin Lafite, Administrative Manager, Linda Spies, Patient Care Co-ordinator is Justine Goliath.
The mission of Drakenstein Palliative Hospice is to respond to the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of persons living with a life-threatening illness within the Drakenstein Health District, through the provision of sustainable palliative home based care and education. The Drakenstein Health Distric includes the towns of Paarl, Simondium, Wellington, Hermon, Saron, Gouda and surrounding areas.
Drakenstein Palliative Hospice provides Palliative Care
- 'Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing problems associated with a life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering, the early identification and the impecable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.'
We receive our support and funding from the Drakenstein public,
by means of various fund raising projects, donations and bequests.
We look after an averge of 295 patients per month in their homes. We have established a paediatric palliative care team to provide care for our growing numbers of Aids children (Dec 2008 we have 54) and our increased concern around orphans and vulnerable children. At present we are looking after approximately 150 children of our sick patients.
We have established a palliative resource centre in an informal settlement called Butterfly House to provide on-going care for our adults and children which focusses on 'living' with a life-threatening, life-limiting illness. See www.butterflyhouse.org.za |
