The HSFA staff are ahead of our game as usual and have got our booster shots for Covid-19! The staff were initially part of the Sisonke Covid vaccination trials over 6 months previously where we were fully vaccinated with J&J and now welcomed the booster shots to ensure extra protection and additional safety of our residents. #COVID19#covidprevention
The Helderberg Society For the Aged received a much welcomed donation of PPE and two elderly walkers from the Rotary Club of Somerset West . The equipment was sourced from a Rotary International club in Canada. Having an excess of PPE in Canada, the Rotarian clubs made a coordinated effort to generously ship it on a container and distribute it to several charities in Somerset West and surrounds. The HSFA is most grateful to the Rotarians, and especially to Heather Botes (Community Services Director of Somerset West Rotary Club) for this wonderful initiative. Eppie Macfarlane from Somerset West Rotary Club handed over the donation on the day.
The staff and residents of the Helderberg Society For the Aged (HSFA) are very thankful to have 558 of their residents and other older persons vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus as part of the national rollout to the elderly over the age of 60.
“The Helderberg Society for the Aged (HSFA) would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to, and congratulate KESS – Khayelitsha Eastern Substructure in conjunction with the Western Cape Department of Health on administering 558 of the Covid-19 vaccines, at the HSFA on the 20th May 2021, to our residents and elderly, over the age of 60 years,” says HSFA’s Operations Manager Rene Anderson van Zyl.
The dynamic and professional team, headed by Sheila McCloen, and her team of Registered Nurses and Administrators from KESS, are commended on the sterling job they did of ensuring our elderly, some of whom are too frail and bedridden, received their first dose of the Phizer Covid-19 vaccination as part of the Phase 2 roll out with KESS and the Western Cape Department of Health.
Photo NAMES FOR GROUP SHOT LEFT TO RIGHT HSFA TEAM:Rene Anderson Van Zyl, Eureka Haefele, Schenell Rossouw, Noleen Prinsloo, Shireen van Reenen, Rika Rodd and Adri Snyman.
One of HSFA’s aims is to ensure our residents are keeping active and having fun – so a monthly planner is in place with a country / general theme. Our past month’s theme was “La France” – so an elegant French lunch, where our dining rooms transformed into French Cafés and residents looked glamourous in their French style apparel, was arranged! Geratec chefs outdid themselves with cuisine like coq-au-vin, onion soup français and ‘magnifique’ éclairs! Boules and croquet brought out the competition in all of us – and a 99-year old from one of our Assisted Living units outscored a few of us on the field! We are also planning activities or learnings aligned to the Department of Health’s annual calendar’s national days! This past month was National Vaccination Week 22-26 April, when our Government announced that any South African over the age of 60 could register to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Louis Pasteur, an inventor of vaccination (rabies) as well as learning how to register online, were our ‘learnings’, which aligned to our French theme as well as Vaccination week. Fun was had by all! Très bien! Note due to the POPIA Act we are restricted from showing photos of faces of our residents (thus the silly emoji faces), so should you wish to get copies of the many photos taken on the day – please speak to your Unit Manager. Thanks to our sponsors / supporters for the events: Rory Taylor from Taylor-Made Adventures , who taught us how to do Boules and made a few pacemakers work harder…, Simply Sparkles Party Light Hire for the discount on party lights and mirror balls, and to J4F Entertainment for the loan of projectors to take us on a “trip to France” and for our learning slides.
We are delighted that the first of our front line nurses and staff were fortunate to receive the Covid-19 Vaccination. The priority of the HSFA remains the safety of our residents. Thank you our nurses – you are our heroes. #COVID19#CoronaVirusPandemic#Covid19SA
What a fabulous treat our nurses and carers at the HSFA frail care received from the caring ladies of “ThankUccino”. A bunch of thoughtful ladies in the Helderberg delivered steaming cups of delicious coffee to our thankful, hardworking staff! Thank you ladies – both nurses and coffeemakers alike! #ThankYouNurses#thankuccino