Two deaths highlight frail care plight

Two people who were among those waiting for frail care placement in Nelson Mandela Bay have died in the past two weeks, highlighting the plight of the disabled and elderly amid the shock impending closure of the metro’s only two fully state-funded frail care centres.

It has also emerged that the government only invited non-profit organisations (NGOs) last month to provide an alternative service.

It is now left with just one month to screen the applicants after applications closed last week.

Scores of families were in turmoil last week when existing patients and those on the waiting lists for the Lorraine and Algoa frail care centres, which house about 240 people, were told the facilities would be closing on December 31.

Traumatised family members were reduced to tears as Department of Social Development employees tried to get them to sign forms giving permission for residents of the centres to be moved anywhere in the country.

The two centres will close their doors at the end of next month as the department’s contract with Life Healthcare ends.

However, the Eastern Cape Department of Health said it would continue its contract with Life Healthcare for the Esidimeni centre in Kirkwood, where psychiatric patients are treated.

“We have no problems with them. Our contract with them will continue,” health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said.

Two people who were on waiting lists for the two affected centres have died in the past fortnight.

A man, who did not want to be named, said his father had died on Friday after he had tried for months to get him into the Lorraine centre.

“The way he died was not nice. They have been messing us around for months,” the man said.

Algoa Bay Council for the Aged social worker Rene Adams said someone she knew had also died, two weeks ago, while waiting to be placed in frail care.

Meanwhile, Nomfuneko Sikaka, 40, and her sister, Nompindiso, 35, who live together in Overbaakens, have been taking care of their 77-year-old father, Mboyoyo, hoping he would eventually be placed at one of the centres.

“He had a stroke in 2006 and can’t do anything for himself anymore,” Nomfuneko said.

“My only hope was that he would be given a place at [a] care centre. Now I don’t know what we are going to do.”

Department of Social Development head Stanley Khanyile said they had already decided in June not to renew Life Healthcare’s contract.

However, residents were only told last week.

Khanyile said NGOs had been invited last month to provide the service and that the closing date for applications was on Monday last week.

He said they were busy evaluating the applications and would appoint someone before the end of next month,

Khanyile was confident the care of the frail and elderly would not be compromised.

Lila Grootendorst, whose LoveMore Group members have been visiting the Algoa Frail Care Centre for the past year, said volunteers at the centre were heartbroken by the decision.

“Those people are very close to my heart. I wish I could take them all,” she said.

“There is one little boy there – he just lies in the bed. He doesn’t have a thing.

“It will kill them [centre residents] if you break them up.”

Alta Ingram, whose mother, Hester Bouwer, 77, suffers from severe osteoporosis and has been at the Lorraine Frail Care Centre since May, said: “Her knees can’t straighten anymore. She can’t look after herself.

“I want to apply for a pension for her so that I can move her to a private frail care facility, but this is going to take some time. “Why did they wait so long to tell us?”

DA MPL Kobus Botha said he had still not received a response from either Khanyile or Social Development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi about the process.

“This lack of response and taking responsibility is causing great distress to all involved,” he said, pointing out that it was not long before the end of the year.

“Who is going to stay behind and do these placements?

“Has the department even sent out officials to verify the capabilities of these [applicant] service providers?”