Elliott rewarded for service to community
AYOUNG girl’s passion for nursing has played a huge role in the establishment of the Sunshine Coast Hospice in Port Alfred. Zelda Elliott has dedicated the past 20 years of her life in working tirelessly for the Sunshine Coast Hospice. This has not gone unnoticed, having been recently honoured with the Lions International Melvin Jones Fellow award for dedicated and humanitarian services at the local Lions Club’s induction in which husband, Norman, was inducted for a second term of office.
This award means her name was added to the Lions Club International Foundation honours board in the US.
It all began when Elliott attended the Victoria Girls’ High School in Grahamstown when she set her heart on making nursing her career. And so it was that when she left school, Elliott started her training at the local Settlers Hospital, where she did her practical, while the theory side was done at the Provincial Hospital in Port Elizabeth. She qualified as a nursing sister after three years and got married in 1967.
But Elliott refused to allow marriage to interfere with her great love for nursing. Besides having three children, she kept her hand in with nursing in the Shaw Park area, where her husband farmed. She also did relief work with the local district surgeon.
The Grahamstown hospice was started in 1984 and the Sunshine Coast Hospice became a satellite of this in 1997. Elliott immediately became involved when she was persuaded to join the committee by the then chairman Dr Paul Schnell.
“We started with one sister and two nurses and soon expanded to Kenton and Alexandria. Since then, we have included Kleinemonde and Bathurst,” she said.
Elliott said that all patients are home-based and they are assisted by seven qualified care-workers who fulfil a valuable need in helping the nursing sisters with their work in the townships. She explained that hospice provides palliative care (holistic care) which includes physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of care. It is designed to ensure “quality of life” for patients with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses.
”I have always loved nursing and wouldn’t change it for anything. When a patient is seriously ill, it is always a sad time for the family, but it is always very rewarding to see them through a difficult time with a lot of support,” she added.
Elliott explained that they were on call 24/7 and worked closely with the local doctors.
“We are very fortunate to have the support and assistance of Dr Barbara Mathews, a palliative care specialist who is such a valuable part of our team,” said Elliott.
About 90% of hospice’s services are free of charge, though some medical aids do assist.
She was quick to add that, without the generosity of Port Alfred’s businesses, service organisations and people, it would not be possible for them to cope.
Elliott is the administrator of the Sunshine Coast Hospice, but still assists with nursing when people are on leave or ill themselves.
The local hospice is fortunate to own the property from which they operate and have since added a well-stocked shop from donations. This is open during normal office hours.