Growing old and neglected
LD AGE homes and frail care facilities are full to capacity and can no longer accommodate the large number of people looking for residence.
Thousands of senior citizens in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng have been put on waiting lists for accommodation.
The head of the Verulam Day and Frail Care Centre, Pravin Patak, said old age homes and frail care units were in huge demand and the government needed to increase subsidies for facilities like his to accommodate the growing numbers.
“We have a frail care unit at the centre which can only accommodate 70 patients, and we have 104 people on a waiting list.
“The pensioner flats, which are located next to us, are run by the municipality and they are also at full capacity.”
Patak said one of the reasons the elderly were looking to move into homes was due to crime.
“With the recent reports of elderly people being attacked, many have chosen to move into a home because it seems a more secure option.”
The manager at Kendra Gardens in John Zikhali (Sydenham) Road, Rajen Bhikha, said retirement homes were not in demand in the Indian community three decades ago. But circumstances have since changed.
“So far we have 23 people on a waiting list and nothing much can be done. Only if someone leaves or passes away can a room or flat become available. It’s a list that keeps on growing.”
He said the new rental for a single room as at April 1 would be R6 100 a month and for a double room for a couple sharing would be R7 800 monthly.
“The cost is inclusive of everything from meals and cleaning to laundry services.”
Patak said that in most homes today, both partners were employed and there was no-one available to take care of the aged – leaving him or her in a state of neglect.
“In some situations, patients are extremely ill and need special care, something that cannot be given at home. Here nurses, who have the understanding and ability to perform these duties, are needed.”
He said patients at the frail care unit were charged R200 a month for their care.
“If a patient cannot afford the amount, they are not charged. We cover most of the costs using donations from sponsors.”
For Wren Mast-Ingle, of the Grandparents Association of South Africa, only a small portion of the elderly are seeking accommodation at old age homes.
“The fear of crime and not having family close by are factors that cause the elderly to move into care facilities. But we must also remember that there is a large number of grandparents who still live on their own and many of them raise their grandchildren, who are orphaned. The situation somewhat balances everything out.”
Ncumisa Ndelu, spokeswoman for the Department of Social Development in KwaZuluNatal, could not confirm if there was an increase in the demand for facilities.
“So far, we are uncertain if there is an increase but what we can say is that people do opt to move into an old age home if their children have left the country and they are all alone.”
She said there had been an increase in the number of attacks on the elderly, who lived alone, and in order to curb the problem the department opened day care centres.
She said government subsidies were also given annually to help run the organisations and if they saw a proven demand for old age homes in the province they would look into providing additional facilities.