Help Hospice give comfort to terminally ill patients

NELSPRUIT – Angels come in all shapes and sizes but they have one thing in common – they help people when they most need it. Among local angels are the staff of Nelspruit Hospice and those involved with their projects.

The society helps terminally ill patients in the last chapter of their lives through holistic treatment. Their compassionate staff provides support and care aimed to control pain and symptoms of the various illnesses.

Staff members include professional nurses, who keep an eye on the patient’s condition, advise caretakers on how to take care of patients and liaise with doctors. Trained volunteers, called caregivers, are also available to assist the nurses with basic nursing care.

In order to provide emotional and social support, a companion can be assigned to patients and their families. This volunteer can run errands, stay with the patient if their family needs to go out for a bit, talk or read to the patient and report any changes in their condition to the professional nurse.

If patients need equipment like bath chairs, crutches, walking frames or wheelchairs, they can borrow it free of charge, depending on the item’s availability. The society also has an equipment rental programme.

As part of their services, hospice runs a bereavement support group for people who want help while dealing with a loved one’s death. This provides a platform to share your grief, talk to people who have gone through the same process and feel the same way.

There are no joining fees.

Enquiries: Elmarie on 083-900-8408 or reception@nelspruithospice.co.za.

Another service on offer is home-based medical care to aid people who need to receive certain treatments but are unable to visit a medical institution.

Services include taking blood pressure, glucose testing, wound care, general care and stoma therapy. This is undertaken by a professional nurse in the comfort of the patient’s own home, within a 30km radius of Nelspruit.

Tariffs are charged according to the South African Nursing Council’s regulations.

A similar service is available to aid doctors with bed-ridden patients. Upon a doctor’s request a professional nurse can help with the collection of blood specimens and delivery to the laboratory, the monitoring of vital signs, glucose testing, injections, wound care, nebulisation, infusions and tracheotomy care.

A request form should be filled out and emailed to reception@nelspruithospice.co.za or faxed to 086-741-9753.

If you’d like to support hospice, there are many ways to get involved.

A once-off donation can be made by depositing any amount into their bank account or bringing a cash gift to their offices. You can state what you’d like the money to be used for.

If you have a bit of spare cash every month, arrange a monthly debit order or EFT with your bank.

A donation in memory of a loved one is also a great way to honour them. You can also recognise a special event in someone’s life, like a birthday or anniversary, in this way.

You can contribute to Hospice’s worthy cause by making a bequest in your will. This way you’ll continue to help people even after your death.

If you’d like to physically get involved, why not volunteer your time? You can receive training to work with patients and their families or help with fund-raising events.

If you are passionate about event-planning, you can even organise your own fund-raising event. They will provide the banners and help with advice and marketing on social media.

If you prefer getting something tangible for your donation, you can buy 375ml bottles of pure honey at the Hospice offices or at their stalls during awareness days. They now also sell fig preserves, raspberry jam and lemon curd.

For enquiries visit Nelspruit Hospice at 7 Rothery Street, contact them on 083-900-8408 or reception@nelspruithospice.co.za.