The Who, Where, What & Why
From the mighty mountains, to the rolling hills the green and gold of the sun on the sugar cane the roaring sea and the sandy beaches. 19 Hospices, each unique and diverse, but working towards a common goal of serving the needs of the most vulnerable communities by providing quality care and support to people living with life-limiting illnesses, which include cancer, HIV/AIDS and TB. Our Hospices stands as a beacon of hope and comfort to thousands of people and their families. Proud members of Hospice Palliative Care Association South Africa (HPCA).
What makes up a hospice
Home Care
Nurses and care givers, doctors and social workers are mobilised to provide care at the patient's homes. From the smallest of rural shacks to the largest urban mansions the patient's share the same fate. They deserve and share the same level of care from the staff. Most people prefer to be cared for at home; and as it makes economic sense to us, Home Care is the backbone of our Hospices. Armed with a car or a comfortable pair of shoes, a cell phone, files and nurses pack your team hit the road. Counselling and training family, friends and home based carers in KZN how to care for their loved ones who are suffering. Providing famous levels of comfort, compassion and care throughout our province with your support.
In Patient Unit
Not all our Hospice's have an IPU, but those that do provide care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Patient care for complex situations and pain management as well as respite care for the family. They provide care away from home with specialist focus to provide peace of mind for the patient and family. The running of an IPU is very expensive, and so is generally only available with the right funding.
Admission
Although Palliative Care should begin with diagnosis of the terminal illness, we do not have the resources to manage the cases in KZN. We provide education and training to medical facilities to advocate the principals in the early stages, but our Hospices generally only admit patients to their programs following a referral from a medical practitioner. Please call your nearest Hospice for their specific admissions policy, or seek out the website from our contacts list on this site.