KAROO NEWS - For some residents of local old age homes, life has changed drastically amidst the Covid-19 outbreak, but the careful preparations made by the establishments have borne fruit.
The Advertiser contacted representatives from local homes, and without exception, the residents and family members were full of praise for the efforts of the staff.
John Ross (76) has lived in Parsonage Street Home for five years. "In the mid-care section, we are used to having the freedom to go out into the town, and being confined to the home is definitely a different feeling," he commented. "But we can still socialise and have our meals together, and there are jigsaws and movies to keep us busy."
He said residents miss visitors from town, but have adapted well.
Ross was effusive in his praise for the staff. "The staff is amazing, and even though they have their own families to worry about, they still come to work with a smile," he added.
In the Edenhof cottages, residents are restricted to their own cottages during the lockdown. Mike Calitz (78), who has been in the home for just over a year, commented that he missed the camaraderie of the communal dining room at lunchtime, but has every confidence in manager Martie Bekker to look after them.
"We have all learned from the lockdown just how important our friends are," he added.
The measures put in place at Huis van de Graaff are all working smoothly, and residents are enjoying the movies, and getting used to the lack of visits from outside. The staff members are keeping a careful eye on the residents for signs of 'cabin fever', but so far all are coping well and enjoying sitting in the autumn sunshine.
"They are socialising in small groups, and really enjoying the movie shows," said chairperson Antoinette Steenkamp.
Cathryn Uys' mother has been in Aalwynhof for just over a year. "At first, my mother didn't understand about the virus, but members of staff went out of their way to patiently explain it to her in terms she could understand," said Uys.
She added that her mother is missing visits from the family, but they talk regularly on the phone.
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Group Editors (publications and online platforms) is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
'We bring you the latest Karoo news'
