ThembaCare Grabouw provides a 7-bed hospice in-patient facility for adults who are terminally ill and whose lives have been devastated by HIV/AIDS and TB. It is the only overnight medical care in the town. To complement the in-patient facility ThembaCare also has a team of community care workers who visit various discharged patients and other referrals in their homes every morning.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

August News


This month the Inpatient Unit (IPU) has cared for a lot more Cancer patients than usual and we were sad to lose three patients to the battle. Losing any patient is always sad and this was quite disheartening for the staff. However, it has also been rewarding to see that one cancer patient, who was referred to us to die, is still with us and doing much better. Her family never thought that they would see her reach her next birthday! But it was her birthday this month and so the whole family came to celebrate with her in the IPU. It was encouraging to see the family’s hope restored as they decorated the lounge for the party.

We also received quite an influx of visitors on Mandela Day who brought blessings of goodwill and reminded our staff of what amazing care and support they provide for the community of Grabouw. Of those who visited us were the Caledon Correctional Services Staff and some Parliamentarians from Namibia. We also had a former patient, who had been very ill and admitted to the IPU last year, come to bring drinks and eats for the staff and to say thank you. It was wonderful to see how well he is………All thanks to the care that the staff had provided. It reminded us to keep on doing what we do no matter how hard it gets!!