Residentia Hermon, an old age home in Pretoria North, recently hosted a function to celebrate and create awareness for the elderly.
The palliative care facility in the north aims to improve the quality of life for people with terminal illnesses.
Residentia Hermon manager Lize Strauss said the home caters for patients 60 years and older.
“We hosted the Tooi Turquoise for the elderly to celebrate the old because we wanted to make them feel appreciated and special,” said Strauss.
She said the Tooi Turquoise Project is held annually, where volunteers crochet turquoise flowers and pin them onto old people.
“The project has expanded and is now an annual institution since its formation in 2013.
“This showed that the values of our older people are brought to the attention of the community,” said Strauss.
She thanked everyone who made the function possible.
“I would like to thank the community of Pretoria North for showing care to the aged and reminding them that they are still part of the community and that they are loved.”
Strauss said the home is currently in need of volunteers who enjoy spending time with older people.
She said volunteers should be able to spare a few hours a week to spread joy and interact with the patients to keep them busy and hyped.
“Reality is that the patients need people who they can interact with daily.
“Some of them have no family nearby or none at all, so they need people to show them love that reminds them of their loved ones,” said Strauss.
The home offers loving and quality care to the elderly in an environment adorned with trees and flowers.
Strauss said most of the patients suffer from dementia and the volunteers will play a huge role in helping to create a life-affirming and caring environment for the elderly.
Residentia Group Care manager Ilse Haasbroek said over a thousand little flowers were collected and distributed, with the message from the person who crocheted them: “The community has not forgotten you”.
The home also celebrated one year of the ResLife Palliative Care Unit and Strauss said it was a huge success.
“Palliative care is for anyone living with a serious illness at any stage, including the day of diagnosis, while end-of-life care is for the last few weeks or months of life.
Palliative care is intended to help patients live more comfortably with their ongoing condition.
“Respite care provides short-term relief for primary caregivers, giving them time to rest, travel, or spend time with other family and friends.”
She said taking care of patients and their families in these critical times of life is a privilege to the home.
“The community joined in by participating in a Cansa Shavathon and 30 heads were either shaven or sprayed.
“Besides this colourful interaction, 100 litres of pancake batter were baked in all the colours of the rainbow.”
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