Butterfly House brings joy and hope
2009-05-07
Liezl Dyson
BUTTERFLY HOUSE in Paarl East, which is part of Drakenstein Palliative Hospice, is an independent, non-government organisation that provides a free service to all who are living with life-threatening diseases. The centre was officially opened on 2 November and co-ordinates and cultivates resources to address the on-going care and support of adults and children while aiming to keep intact their unique cultural and spiritual life-worlds. This is done through creating and supporting opportunities to make and fulfil informed life-choices through the establishment of programmes for children, youth, adults and the community. They have a crafting and activities work-shop for adults with disabilities, a youth care after-school programme, a mothers’ and carers’ support group, a bereavement support group for those who have lost a loved one and much more. Butterfly House was established as a palliative resource centre, to expand the care of patients (adults and children) as well as the children of sick patients who are made vulnerable and could be orphaned as a result of having ill parents. To meet this objective, they provide infected and affected community members living with a life-threatening illness, with support care and skills, through adult and children’s day care programmes, after-school educational support and training and skills development for staff, volunteers, carers, patients and community members. Anybody within the Drakenstein Health District from Saron to Simondium who qualifies for the service, may approach them either directly or through their doctor, social worker or professional nurse, to ask for advice or for support. Since February this year, 419 adults, and 188 children and youths have benefited from programmes at Butterfly House. “We want to encourage the referral of patients. So often we hear about people that need help and still we don’t get that many referrals,” says Elizabeth Scrimgeour, Ceo of Butterfly House. According to Scrimgeour the active symptom management of patients and their families facing problems associated with a life-threatening illnes’, remains the cornerstone, the hope, of the service delivery. Their focus remains on being able to manage physical symptoms of life-threatening illnesses like cancer, motor neuron disease, terminal diabetes and cerebral vasculaire accidents (CVAs/strokes), as well as Aids and congestive cardiac failure. This includes the holistic symptom management of illnesses that do not respond to curative medicine, as well as any other illnesses that could benefit from the knowledge and expertise of palliative care. “The physical aspects of our care focuses on pain control and management of nausea and vomiting, breathlessness, confusion, loss of appetite and fatigue - those physical symptoms that distress and confuse patients and their families.” At Butterfly House they employ consultant palliative doctors and five palliatively-trained professional nurses who supervise 18 community carers and volunteers as part of an interdisciplinary team and approach to the care of patients in their homes. “Our philosophy is to do care ‘with’ and not to do care ‘for’ people. Fundamentally to the approach is building networking partnerships, as we recognise that the need is too great to do alone,” Scrimgeour said. Currently three social workers head up the psychosocial team and are supported by care workers and volunteers. Their dream of providing care for the community, in the community, with the community and not having tot do it all alone, has become a reality for them. But as with all new initiatives they have a wish list of equipment like mattresses, blankets, dominoes and playing cards, ‘poufs’, and computers. The adult area also needs recliners for sick patients, benches for the garden and the kitchen requires heavy pots, a microwave, an iron and ironing board and other kitchen equipment. For enquiries, phone Hospice on 021-872-4060.
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