So much loving, so much caring
2006-07-27
ILLNESS is an ordeal under the best of circumstances. When this illness is of a terminal nature, or life threatening, it can become a crisis in the life of the patient and family.
In these cases, Hospice can be a lifeline, offering physical, emotional and social care.
Best of all, these services are offered free of charge and on call 24 hours a day.
Paarl Post spent a day with Drakenstein Hospice, observing the empathetic way they look after their patients.
So much love, so much caring... This is the overwhelming feeling one gets when talking to the personnel and also to the patients and their families.
“The need can be overwhelming,” says Fran Tong, a pastoral narrative therapist and one of two social workers who give emotional, spiritual and social support to patients and their families.
“We’re dealing with dire poverty,” she explains. “We can do little things. There is a need to feed patients as well as to provide quality care.
“It is our responsibility to give relief where we hear about need,” she said and added that many churches do support them with food stuffs and other essential supplies.
On the spiritual side, they help people to attempt to make sense of what is happening.
Fran and her colleague, Justine Goliath, work with about hundred families. They encourage office visits, but where patients are very ill, they will visit them at home.
“People think we must give, but we don’t always have,” explains Sister Anne-Marie Swart. She is one of four sisters with a caseload of up to 265 patients that they visit on a regular basis, depending on the need.
Anne-Marie found her way to Paarl and Hospice in a roundabout way. Working as a nurse in England, she has been diagnosed with cancer herself. This made her decide to return to South Africa.
“I promised God that I would help other people if He brought me through this crises,” she smiles. In remission from the cancer, she started working at Drakenstein Hospice - a job she carries out with great empathy and competence.
Stories of untold hardship, but also caring and unselfish giving, unfold as the Hospice sister goes on her rounds.
The first stop is at the house where Frans (62) lives with his in-laws. He has cancer of the throat and lungs, but his condition has improved dramatically since Hospice started giving a helping hand.
Next on the list is Andries (50) who had a stroke earlier this year. He is now living with his sister and her family in a second floor flat in Nederburg.
He is bedridden and his family have to wash and feed him through a tube. They also have the support of neighbours and friends, some of whom looked in while we were there.
“It is not often you get a family that cares so much,” says Sister Swart, adding that they don’t have much of an income.
The next visit is to the home of Malcolm and Anne. Malcolm (48) has advanced cancer of the lung, brain and liver.
“He is not eating any longer and is getting morphine every four hours,” explains the sister.
“I don’t want to eat, I am tired and want to go,” is his only wish.
“I want to kiss the feet of Hospice,” says Johanna, who is looking after her sister-in-law following a stroke. She is also diabetic and her right leg has been amputated.
“She goes through dips when she doesn’t want to eat,” says Johanna. “But I know this is what God is asking of me and I love her like my own child.”
Johanna has the highest praise for the Hospice sister: “You are my life.
"When I phone, you are always there for me. And then I have hardly put the phone down, before your car stops at the door.”
Sister Anne-Marie just smiles and fetches a bottle with Buchu water from her car, part of supplies like nappies which she carries with her to help people in their dire need.
“Remember to give this to her if she doesn’t want to eat,” she says to Johanna.
She explains that buchu is one of the remedies Hospice uses as supplement for patients.
A limited amount of buchu oil, a very expensive substance, is sponsored by Waterfall Health Farms.
This oil is added to aqueous cream and used as an ointment - a very sought-after remedy for problems like bed sores.
“It is exhausting work, emotionally and physically,” admits the sister.
But, she adds, it also gives you heart when you see how family, friends and neighbours stand together to help someone in need.
“It is not so much about dying, but living - co-creating alternative stories for life and the living,” says Elizabeth Scrimgeour, CEO of Drakenstein Hospice.
She explains that Hospice falls under the Palliative Care Association of Southern Africa.
“We look after patients with an illness which no longer responds to curative treatment and have a short life expectancy.
“We aim to achieve the best quality of care for patients and families. Our policy is not to do ‘for’ people, but to do ‘with’ them.”
Hospice started in Paarl 15 years ago. The caseload grew from 22 patients in 2000 to about 265 per month at the moment in an area extending from Simondium to Saron (the Drakenstein municipal health district).
They have four palliative home-based care sisters, a nursing manager, two social workers, 18 home-based carers and 70 volunteers on their books.
Dr Lisa Helström, with a master’s degree in palliative medicine, works on a part-time basis as consultant to the team.
Elizabeth emphasises that their services are free and they are on call 24 hours a day, therefore donations and volunteers are always welcome.
You can visit Hospice's offices at 109 Breda Street, Paarl, or phone them on 872-4060.
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