Only accredited palliative care unit in the Vaal faces closure

VEREENIGING. – Established in 1985 to care for patients suffering from a life limiting illness the centre was recently revamped and modernised in 2020 with the help of funding from the National Lotteries Commission but has been struggling ever since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The centre has been providing palliative care and assistance to patients with terminal illnesses for the last 35 years.

That changed last week when the centre was forced to finally closed their doors.

According to Gail Heasley, former CEO and manager of the Wide Horizon Hospice, care used to be free of charge because the organisation was able to raise the funds and cover the costs of beds in the unit, but unfortunately the Covid-19 pandemic left many people without work and caused many companies to close, in turn shrinking the support base.

“The funds that were in our savings account was utilised to keep the unit operational, but unfortunately that money has now run out.

“The department of health do subsidise and has over the years subsidised some beds in the unit, but obviously it doesn’t cover the full costs.

“Last year unfortunately those funds were not realised and because of that it put us in a bit of pickle because we couldn’t take patients who were unable to pay for their care,” says Heasley.

“We cannot charge patients for what it (their care) actually costs but through fundraising were able to subsidise their care.”

“With shrinking donations coming in and not much fundraising going on, unfortunately it has come to a stage now where we’ve basically run out of money for the unit and are in a position where we can no longer to continue with it because of the cost of the staff, even though they don’t earn market related salaries.”

Unfortunately, the families of two patients who were left in the unit – one of them a 92-year-old-woman – are now struggling to find a new home for her.
Heasley says this is a tragedy.

Heasley says Wide Horizon Hospice will be able to keep their outreach programmes going for a while (with limited staff available) but says the organisation needs funding.

“We would like to turn the situation around so that we are able to provide frail care to bedbound patients with limited mobility.”

According to Heasley keeping the unit open would require at least R1 million of funding per year.

“We need to raise at least a R1 million a year, because that is what it cost us to provide care, accommodation, food, laundry and buy medication and PPE to run the facility.

“There are a lot of expenses when dealing with terminally ill people,” says Heasley.

“We are the only accredited palliative care hospice in the Vaal Triangle and because of that we have a certain ethical duty.

“We must obey certain guidelines and a certain way of practicing.

“This tragedy is exponential because it causes terrible trauma for the families of the patients that remain, but without funding and without money we cannot expect people to work for nothing.

“They must receive some kind of reward for the number of hours and work that they do, as anyone with a job.”