Donations aplenty for two Lewisham old age homes
The Gauteng Age in Action organisation recently visited two elderly care facilities in Lewisham to hand out donations.
The team from Gauteng Age in Action recently visited the Luipaardsvlei Old Age Home and Angels Home-based Care to donate some goodies to the elderly.
The organisation was founded in 1956 as the South African Council for the Aged and represents more than 2.7m older people. There are more than 800 non-profit organisations who are members of the organisation and they provide services to more than 150 000 elderly.
Their mission is to promote and protect the interests and well-being of the elderly.
Some of the projects they run include:
• Initiating and promoting programmes to look after the status, well-being, safety and security of vulnerable and needy older persons
• Providing community-based health care services
• Initiating prevention and educational programmes on HIV/ Aids for older persons
• Providing empowerment programmes for vulnerable and needy older persons
• Conducting relevant social research to provide and initiate effective interventions
• Compiling relevant publications and circulating information relating to older persons
• Initiating and implementing inter-generational programmes. To lobby and advocate for the rights of older persons
It’s said they are the only organisation in South Africa that fights for the elderly and service delivery. Elderly people often at times face abuse which includes systematic abuse and corruption, inadequate health care, lack of housing, poor health and nutrition, too few community-based services, social services system and the HIV/ Aids pandemic.
The chairperson of the organisation, Sibongile Mjangqeka, explained they go to clubs and homes to educate the elderly about their rights and different types of abuse.
“If something were to happen to them we are here. There is a toll-free number they can call and then we can mobilise a social worker.”
When she and one of the board members, Jerry Pooe, visited the old age home with their team, they donated nappies and something to spoil the elderly with. They also have an Adopt a Gogo programme where they get unemployed youth involved and give them a stipend. These youth then adopt 10 elderly people who they have to check on every day as well as write a report.
Luipaardsvlei home matron Margeorie Bosman added they are very thankful for the organisation and their donations.
