What do an ex-Navy cook, an accountant and a writer have in common? They are all beneficiaries at St Rosehaven care facility in Somerset West.
This small sanctuary has just celebrated its first anniversary and is growing. St Rosehaven is a day-care and service centre for the elderly and adults who live with cognitive impairments. It looks after five mostly dementia-afflicted adults, but will soon welcome another three beneficiaries.
“We can care for up to 15, but with only three caregivers we prefer to keep it at 13 so we can ensure personalised attention,” said Tracy-Ann Ockhuis, founder of St Rosehaven Sanctuary, establishing it on 17 January last year.
The daily programme, which starts at 08:00 and ends at 17:00, is packed with fun and uplifting activities. After breakfast beneficiaries enjoy a motivational talk, singing and some play before a light snack. Crafts and mental exercises such as colouring, puzzles as well as speech and ball therapy stimulate brain activity while Wi-Fi ensures they can stay connected to their families and favourite online games.
Ockhuis checks in with the families every day to report on daily activities and notify them in case of medical distress. “While we do not provide medical care we check vital signs such as blood pressure and will notify their families in case of any problem,” she said.
The centre has loads of magazines and kilometres of wool, but is in desperate need of crochet hooks and knitting needles as well as someone who can help with these handicrafts. “We also need some new puzzles, scissors, coloured paper and water-based paints as well as an exercise ball and buttons,” Ockhuis said.
Some of the beneficiaries love sorting buttons according to colour or size, while others like Byron Petersen enjoy building puzzles. Charmaine Lange, a former accountant, still loves numbers while Clara Robyntjies, who was employed at Continental China, is delighted to clean the kitchen.
Meanwhile, writer Relin du Toit, who initiated the first after-school facility in South Africa, loves everything pink – from hair to eye patch – and former South African Navy chef James Williams, fondly known as Oupa James, has added gardening to his portfolio. “If anyone has some extra plants, we would love to add these to our garden,” Ockhuis implored.
Additional needs include a chest freezer as well as a storage facility such as a Wendy house or a container.
The centre is currently a project of the Rotary Club of Somerset West and is located on the corner of Drama and Cloetenburg streets. The centre charges a subscription fee of R2 000 a month and is keen to employ its two volunteer caregivers. St Rosehaven also sells bottled water in 500 ml, 1,5 F and 5 F units to raise money.
The facility is not affiliated to Rosehaven Retirement Village, but is related to a feeding scheme, St Rosehaven Foundation, recently established in Macassar.
For more information, purchase water or to donate, contact Ockhuis on 068 556 4696 or admin@rosehaven.co.za.
