{"id":263463,"date":"2025-06-04T11:04:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T09:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/?p=263463"},"modified":"2025-06-25T14:41:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T12:41:41","slug":"providing-care-for-over-40-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/providing-care-for-over-40-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Helderberg Hospice: Providing care for over 40 years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
On 10 February 1987 the non-profit organisation Helderberg Hospice was registered at the Companies Office in Pretoria under the number 1987\/006656\/08.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, that was not the beginning of our story . . .\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The hospice movement in England was established through the hard work and determination of Dame Cicely Saunders. She visited Cape Town to spread the word about hospice in early 1985. At the talk our founder, Sister Pat Pigeon, was duly inspired and began working for St Luke’s Hospice in Kenilworth, extending its services to Somerset West.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
humble beginnings\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sister Pat, together with Sister Liz Flack, working out of the boot of the former’s car, visited patients at home and were convinced there was a need for a hospice in Somerset West. She gathered a small group of medical professionals, business leaders and community-minded people to form a working group. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After many discussions, and with the goodwill of the councillors of the then-Somerset West Municipality, the official formation of Helderberg Hospice followed.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year, 40 years later, we recognise, commend and celebrate these early pioneers for their foresight and determination to establish Helderberg Hospice.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our initial home was a room given to us by the late Councillor Chris Cohen, adjacent to his shop in Church Street (behind the town hall). From these small beginnings where are we now?\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks to the goodwill of the municipality, we were fortunate to be offered a long-term lease on the site that has been our home since November 1988. What you see now has changed immeasurably from the single property we originally occupied 37 years ago. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1993, the 10-bed in-patient support centre was opened, and in 2000 came the addition of the administration building. As the need for palliative-care training grew, so did our footprint, and in 2011 we were able to add a training hall to the property. The introduction of our Garden of Remembrance came in 2016, which has seen another expansion project, to accommodate a new labyrinth memorial, this year.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the capable leadership of CEO Robert de Wet, we have a team of 52 full-time staff, responsible for all aspects of clinical service delivery, fundraising and special event management, all of whom are supported by a group of around 130 unpaid volunteers who tend our Garden of Remembrance, answer the telephones at our reception and assist in our charity shops and at fundraising events. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
care and compassion\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Helderberg Hospice is governed by a board of 11 directors, drawn from a wide range of professional backgrounds, all of whom serve in a voluntary capacity. Board members contribute expertise in fields such as medicine, nursing, administration, accountancy, fundraising and law.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now you know who we are, why is Helderberg Hospice so important to our community? \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our purpose is to facilitate quality of life and alleviate suffering within our community, so people experience peace, comfort and dignity when it matters most. We achieve this through compassion, treating everyone equally, striving for excellence and acting with integrity.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hospice is often wrongly seen as just a place for people dying of cancer. We are constantly working to correct this misconception. Hospice is much more than that; we offer proactive palliative care by advocating for and providing palliative care across the board. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What then is palliative care and why is it important? \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Palliative care can best be described as a specialised field of medical care for individuals with life-limiting illnesses. It puts a focus on improving the quality of life of both the patient and their loved ones through the meticulous management of pain and symptoms. Dr Mark Hosking, our resident doctor, and all our nurses and social workers are palliatively trained and experienced.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
hospice a ‘philosophy’\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like all NPOs working in the non-governmental sector, we are acutely aware that our services come at a cost. We must continually manage and, where possible, grow our income and funding. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hospice is not a “place”, but rather a philosophy and special kind of care. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is a warm-hearted, empathetic group of people striving to provide a much-needed service to our community and we take this opportunity to thank our community for 40 years of support.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
This article was written by Julian Weil, chairperson of the Helderberg Hospice Board.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nInspired by Dame Cicely Saunders in 1985, Sister Pat Pigeon (pictured) transformed hospice care in the Helderberg Basin, from working out of her car boot alongside Sister Liz Flack to founding Helderberg Hospice and gathering medical professionals and community leaders whose vision has blossomed into a vital organisation celebrating four decades of compassionate palliative care.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From humble beginnings, Helderberg Hospice has evolved into a vital community institution of more-than-40-years’ standing in Somerset West, with comprehensive facilities, 52 staff members, 130 volunteers and a dedicated board of directors who, together, provide specialised palliative care that ensures peace, comfort and dignity for patients with life-limiting 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Helderberg Hospice: Providing care for over 40 years | DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/providing-care-for-over-40-years\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Helderberg Hospice: Providing care for over 40 years\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From humble beginnings, Helderberg Hospice has evolved into a vital community institution of more-than-40-years' standing in Somerset West, with comprehensive facilities, 52 staff members, 130 volunteers and a dedicated board of directors who, together, provide specialised palliative care that ensures peace, comfort and dignity for patients with life-limiting illnesses.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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