A swift decision to remove 21 sickly elderly people from a dysfunctional old age home in Maphumulo, northern KwaZulu-Natal, has spurred the lives of these elderly citizens.
The elderly, all of them female, had been under the care of Masikane Christian Care Home for the Aged, which has been operating illegally. The home forfeited its licence to operate as a non-profit organisation in 2010 when it failed to comply with regulations governing the NPO sector.
The home currently has no running water, no electricity and residents have been kept in untidy and unhygienic conditions. Most of the residents were bed-ridden and had septic bed sores and required urgent medical attention. They have since been moved to Umphumulo Hospital for medical check-ups and once they are discharged, they will be relocated to Zibambeleni Old Age Home in Clermont, Durban.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Social Development, Mrs Weziwe Thusi, has hailed the operation as a necessary intervention to ensure the well-being of elderly people. She has also appealed to members of the public to ensure that they take their loved ones to properly managed old age homes.
“I would like to appeal to members of the public to ensure that they check with the Department of Social Development if the homes they would like to take their relatives to are properly registered and they comply with all regulations,” said MEC Thusi.
For more information:
Vukani Mbhele
Cell: 083 307 8964
