Most people picture hospice care as nursing care that happens in the home, and for the majority of patients, that is exactly right. But Helderberg Hospice also has a support centre – and it is one of the most misunderstood areas of the service.
The Helderberg Hospice Support Centre is a short-term, specialist in-patient facility in Somerset West. Patients are admitted for a defined period and then return to the comfort of their home for further care.
The support centre is a focused space for three specific needs: managing pain and other symptoms that have become difficult to deal with at home, giving exhausted families a planned period of respite, and providing dedicated end-of-life care when that is what a family chooses.
The Helderberg Hospice Support Centre is a 10-bed facility with 24-hour nursing care. Registered nurses, enrolled nurses and carers see to patients’ needs, while social workers are available to support both patients and their loved ones.
To support patients who may not have the means but need the care of the support centre, Helderberg Hospice asks the community to help with the following necessities: adult nappies, essential oils for an oil burner; Organics shampoo and conditioner to wash sheepskin fleeces which help care for patients’ skin; automatic washing powder; tissues and wet wipes; microwavable bean bags; lubricant gel; and bedsocks and beanies.
Donations can be dropped at the hospice’s shops (150 Main Road, Somerset West, or 50 Fagan Street, Strand) or at Helderberg Hospice, 21 Old Stellenbosch Road, Somerset West.
- For more information about the support centre, and hospice and palliative care, contact Helderberg Hospice directly on 021 852 4608.
