81 FRAIL-CARE PATIENTS TO BE MOVED TO OTHER HOMES

EIGHTY-one of about 240 patients at the only two fully state-funded frail-care centres in Port Elizabeth will be moved to homes for the aged and homes for the disabled.

This is because the Eastern Cape social development department has classified them as no longer in need of 24-hour care, head of the provincial department Stanley Khanyile said in papers before the Port Elizabeth High Court.

Khanyile filed the papers as a response to an application by the Frail Care Crisis Collective – a group of families trying to provisionally stop the move of patients currently housed at Life Esidimeni Lorraine and Algoa Frail Care Centre.

The department did not renew the contract with Eastern Cape Frail Care – a subsidiary of Life Esidimeni and the company running the two centres – and decided

Gerhardt Loock, from the Frail Care Crisis Collective, said they have much to do before the next court date. “We need to strengthen our advocacy efforts. We are lobbying to become part of the monitoring of these patients.

“What concerns me is that the department of social development still hasn’t altered the way they are communicating with us.

“We would like to give our input in the selection of facilities for our family members. None of those identified so far is suitable and, in many cases, these places have already indicated that they are not able to accommodate patients currently in frail care.”

Loock said there were strong bonds between the patients in frail care and he was concerned about the detrimental effect on patients when they are moved.

“The department is making this all about money, but it is about so much more.”