Oct 12, 2020 | Arthritis Day, General, Healthcare, Retirement, Somerset West
12 October, is World Arthritis Day (WAD) — a day designed to raise global awareness about the disease. It is important to know of the symptoms connected to arthritis to get an early diagnosis and the proper medical treatment. Our Clinical Services team provides support and advice to our residents.
Sep 15, 2020 | Coronavirus, General, Healthcare, Retirement, Somerset West
A shout out of THANKS to Masks For Medics for the boxes of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for the HSFA. Thank you for making our staff and residents safer. The HSFA received over 10 large boxes of PPE from this generous organisation for our visitors of residents and our HSFA staff.
Mar 16, 2020 | Coronavirus, General, Healthcare, Retirement, Somerset West
Dear Residents, Family and Staff,
HSFA places the health of our residents, family and staff first.
HSFA acknowledges the potential exponential spread of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in South Africa and that the older persons, especially those with underlying medical conditions in our Frail Environment and Assisted Living Units are compromised and particularly vulnerable to infection.
Our Task Team Mandate:
• To keep abreast of the development and spread of the virus and advise HSFA on the management of this.
• Our Unit Manager Sr Schenell Rossouw, Nursing Care Manager Mr Frederick de Bruyn, and Night Shift Infection Control Sr Mr JP Walekwa have been for training at Karl Bremmer Hospital on the 6th March 2020 on how to manage the process and networking with relevant Infection Control departments on Government level.
• HSFA has commenced with in house training on Infection Control specific to Coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19)
• HSFA has a strict zero tolerance approach toward non-compliance.
• HSFA Response Plan is in draft phase.
The Standard Operating Procedure for Preparedness, Detection and Response to a Coronavirus (2019-NCOV) outbreak in South Africa has been implemented within the HSFA.
HSFA would like to urge our families and visitors to refrain from contact with the older person should you suspect that there has been any contact or flu related symptoms.
Yours faithfully,
Alta Allen, Operations & Risk Manager
#Flattenthecurve
Feb 14, 2020 | General
At the “HSFA has Talent” show last night one of our residents, Matty Swannepoel, kindly shared her own sweet love story – appropriate for Valentine’s Day today. She told how she sent this beautiful poem to her love and he replied with the one below it… True, deep, ensuring love.
The Rose: Read by Matty Swannepoel
Some say love, it is a river That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger An endless, aching need
I say love, it is a flower And you, its only seed
It’s the heart afraid of breaking That never learns to dance
It’s the dream afraid of waking That never takes the chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken Who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying That never learns to live
And the night has been too lonely And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only For the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed that with the sun’s love In the spring, becomes a rose
Songwriters: Amanda Mcbroom
The Rose lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc
Let me love you – by Brian van der Spuy
Please let me love you
Now that I found you
I have been looking everywhere
In the stars, in the moon
And in the rainbow above
You fill my life with laughter
You give me hope each day
Let me be your dreams of happiness
You are all I long for
Is there a tenderness like yours?
A love so true
I want to be your loved one!
From now to eternity
You’re one of a kind
Death cannot tear us apart
Because …. I love you so
Note the image is not of Matty and Brian, just a symbolic image.
Feb 12, 2020 | General
Singing provides many benefits for the elderly. Our frail care residents frequently enjoy a ‘sing-a-long’ at our Support Centre or Mountview. Thank you to the many volunteers, like our pianist Rinet Kennedy, who share their passion for music and play their instruments to accompany our residents’ voices!
Ongoing research has shown that regular singing can increase immunity, lift spirits, and provide a physical workout for the brain and lungs. These benefits are significant for those experiencing mild to moderate dementia as it boosts healthy brain function as music activates many parts of the brain. Emotions released and the physical process of engaging in music appears to support access to memories. Lung expansion and breath control are a part of singing. It is interesting to note research of regular music therapy sessions shows an increase in breath control and possible improvement of the swallowing mechanism of those living with Parkinson’s. Singing also encourages posture/body alignment as singing forces the singer to sit up straight for maximum lung capacity. Singing together creates group bonds as singing helps develop and maintain skills of listening and adjusting to others. It is a wonderful antidote to depression!
Nov 25, 2019 | General, Retirement, Somerset West
The HSFA has a firm commitment to provide and train staff with exceptional service standards to ensure top care for all residents. We are proud to announce that our Clinical Nurse Natasha Hjelden recently achieved Cum Laude in her Palliative exam completed through the HPCA Hospice Palliative Care Assn.
Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing problems associated with life threatening illness by the means of early identification and ‘impeccable’ assessment and treatment of pain and other problems – physical, psychosocial and spiritual.
“People assume one has to go to hospice if you have cancer, chronic or terminal illnesses. However with Palliative care, the elderly person will have a better quality of life through early identification of the illness, the ‘impeccable’ symptom control, pain management and its holistic approach.” says Natasha.
