Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

As we start our new financial year, we can look back over the last year with a sense of fulfilment, pride and gratitude. We have further increased the size of our caring, support and the volunteer teams. Modest improvements in our infrastructure have been made. But, most importantly of all, we have provided holistic care to a significantly larger number of patients and their families. Every patient referred to Hospice has received professional and loving care - nobody has been turned away!

This is the key accomplishment of the year - an accomplishment made possible by the commitment of our staff, the loyalty of our volunteers and the generosity of our supporters. We are grateful to this entire cast of angels.

The 2005 year, will be no less exciting. We will pursue our duties as mentors to other caring organizations in the Southern Cape, develop the new training capability and ensure that once again no patient is turned away.

However it is the year 2006 that I would like you think about. Next year Hospice will be 20 years old - time to reflect and celebrate. If you are one of those "old timers" who were around in the late 1980's or early 1990's please write to us with your memories of those early days. Send us photos, old newsletters - anything that brings back the past. If you know of someone else who was a pioneer, encourage them to do the same. Please send your contribution to me at P. 0. Box 2254, Knysna, 6570 or email it to peter. godsell@pixie. co.za.

Lots of hard work ahead of us in 2005, but in 2006 we PARTY!

Peter Godsell

The HPCA Philosophy

Hospice affirms life. Hospice exists to provide support and care for people in the last phases of incurable illness, so that they may live as fully and comfortably as possible. Hospice recognises dying as a normal process and neither hastens nor postpones death. Hospice exists in the hope and belief that, through appropriate care and the promotion of a caring community sensitive to their needs, patients and families may be free to attain a degree of mental and spiritual preparation for death that is satisfactory to them. Hospice recognises grief as a normal response to loss, and therefore support to the families continues into the bereavement period.

Events List 2005

1-7 May	Hospice Week
During Oyster Festival	Eco Adventure tours talk and slides by Mark and John Collins
15 September	Charity lunch at Lagoonside Nursery
30 September and 1 October	SA Ballet Company
8 October	Hospice Remembrance service to be held in St. George's Church, combined with world wide Voices of Hospice
October (date to be finalized)	Street Collection
December (date to be finalized)	Pezula Golf Day
December (date to be finalized)	Carols by Candelight

Hospice nursing is about a lot more than medicine...

Knysna / Sedgefield Hospice provides an all inclusive home based care service to all patients in their care free of charge. We liaise closely with the local Red Cross home nursing service if 24 hour nursing services are required (but this is a paid service.)

Not only is the patient the primary beneficiary, but the whole family and friends near to him/her are included in the service provided.

The holistic approach means that the patient's needs are attended to immediately i.e. applying for a State pension or grant, networking with the other departments like the department of social welfare or the Department of Internal Affairs for the Identity Documents and birth certificates - or if medical help is needed at the bedside, the local doctor will do a home visit.

Currently we have eleven home based carers including one male, which made a big difference in caring for some male patients. Some African males do not verbalize their needs, aches and pains freely to women.

Each and every home based Carer has his / her allocated area which is in walking distance from his / her home. Visits are also done together with the relevant sister allocated for the area.

During a visit many problems can be encountered which the home based carers have to address e.g. social needs, poverty alleviation, support, counseling and appropriate referral etc. The greatest needs in some areas are the social needs. Sometimes addressing these areas first, makes the nursing side seems less-important. This boils down to a complete holistic Palliative care service of all the patient's immediate needs.

Sr. Rhona Irving

John Small reports from Sedgefield

The entirely voluntary work for Hospice in Sedgefield continueu -nabated in 2004 and the indications are that there will be no let-up in 2005! In all five General Meetings were held, some better supported than others, complimented by five Committee Meetings. It is my first duty to thank those members of the Committee for their unfailing support.

During the year we were sad to lose the services of Sister Jean Prest, now undoubtedly helping Hospice in New Zealand, but very glad to have secured the services of Sister Henriette Hattingh who rapidly gained the trust and affection of patients and members alike. Sister Henriette, together with dedicated volunteers has maintained our fledgling village day-care initiative with great devotion and perseverance and we sincerely thank her and her volunteers.

A number of fund-raising events helped us to pay our way in 2004 and many, including our now famous Fashion Show cum Music Hall, will be epeated. The massive, overflow event in 2004, supported as ever by our generous villagers, was a memorable success. Our heartfelt thanks are due to those Committee members and volunteers who gave so much time and effort to our regular fund raising initiatives.

The Hospice Shoppe, of course, is our main source of income and at the same time an essential source of low cost clothing etc. Win Humphries and her band of volunteers are due our hearty thanks and an appeal to keep going!

Thanks are due to the village as a whole, our donors to the Shoppe, and particularly to those shops and businesses who actively help us in many ways throughout the year. The name of Sedgefield in the Hospice Association is synonymous with care and compassion. Long may it remain so.

A gift that lasts forever

Consider making a bequest to Hospice... this is a truly wonderful and lasting way to leave a meaningful gift to Hospice that lives on in perpetuity, working for the good of Hospice long after you have gone.

Not only does it provide vital financial support for us to carry on our good work, it can be a practical and tax efficient way of reducing the estate duties levied on your estate.

Hospice's patient load - both in the cancer and AIDS fields - is growing. Because of the generosity of our support base, so is our capacity to cope with it.

Should you wish to know more, please contact Leonie at Hospice on Tel: (044) 384-0593, or Chris Bourlay on (044) 387-1259 or indeed, your own attorney, banker or financial adviser who will certainly know how to make all the necessary arrangements within your will.

As a person who is frequently involved with the pastoral care of the terminally ill, I often come into contact with the caregivers of the Knysna / Sedgefield Hospice. I have often admired their sincere compassion, their dedication to those in their care and their willingness to discuss the reality of dying with both the patient and the families.

Perhaps more important than my personal contacts with the Hospice staff have been the comments I receive from parishioners who have experienced the care given by the Hospice. In all cases these people have not been able to speak highly enough of the love which they received. Calling the caregivers "angels" and remarking that they would not have been able to cope with the implications of death and dying without them are not sentimental platitudes but heartfelt responses to a most remarkable experience of human compassion.

Because the Church's ministry is so varied, the Hospice with its focus on the terminally ill, is able to offer to these people a far more comprehensive and consistent ministry than the Church is able to offer. I often wonder how we would be able to cope without the services offered by the Hospice.

The Knysna / Sedgefield Hospice has recently extended their services to mce- the needs of those living with HIV/AIDS. This is an enormous area of work which will stretch the Hospice resources to the extreme. Yet it is a vital service. Despite the prevalence of AIDS in this country it is still stigmatised, and I have no doubt that receiving the special care offered by the Hospice will enable so many, particularly among the impoverished, to live with this syndrome and face death knowing that, to the end, someone cared and they were loved.

If you are considering offering your support to the Knysna / Sedgefield Hospice allow me to encourage you by letting you know that your contribution will enable people to live out their last days with dignity, experiencing the best of human love and compassion.

Yours faithfully

Revd. Jonathan Payne (Rector)

The diverse nature of those who serve and are served at Hospice

The road from Belvidere to Nekkies runs through the town.
Abundant affluence, to pervasive poverty.
Surround sound, to paraffin stoves
Vacations in Venice, to no holidays at all.
Two communities - so different
Does the N2 divide or join?

Of course both share the things that really count.
A child is born
A couple marry
A loved one dies, and families mourn
Two communities - so similar.
But, does the N2 divide or join?

Each day, both use this strip of tar, to meet and toil.
As one combined community, they serve.
To nurse the sick
To feed the hungry
Care for the dying, and comfort all.
So, does the N2 divide or join?

The answer is of courser perverse.
But in the hearts of those who care
In any area of worth
I think the answer is quite clear.
Yes, thank God, the N2 joins.

Peter Godsell

The Knysna Hospice Charity Shoppe

The past few months have been the busiest in our history with records recorded in November, December and even January. February was surprisingly good too compared with previous years.

The generosity of the Knysna public is truly amazing! Just when we think we're going to have a bit of a break, another kind soul draws up at the door with a 4 X 4 boot load of just what we need!

There is no doubt that the revamping of the shop last year has attracted more customers and the relocation of the book section and the selective pricing of the books, has led to increased revenue from that source as well.

A word of appreciation to our tireless, ever obliging, reliable and wonderful supervisor Maria Borchards and to all our volunteers who make the whole enterprise possible by their remarkable efforts In this regard we should especially mention 'The Flying Dutchman' Dick de Graaf Thelma Noack, Faith Beardsley, Sophia Muller and Maureen Els for their willingness to help whenever there's a call for it!

Please encourage your friends to support the Shoppe - after all. it s the bread and butter ingredient in our fund raising mix!

David Ramsay

Hospice Mission Statement

  To care for the terminally ill.

  To provide for the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of the patients and their loved ones.

  To make the patient's final days as pain free and meaningful as possible

ePap

I am (we are) so happy for the arrival of ePap at Knysna/Sedgefield Hospice and that we can now provide our frail and unfortunate patients with a full balanced and vitamin enriched diet, even twice a day. They can have it as a soft diet, a sloppy diet or a fluid diet - depending on their tolerance or mood. It is so easy to make - no hassle - only mixing the powder with cold water so that it does not clot Then adding the amount of cold or lukewarm water to form the type of diet preferred.

I have seen the effect this ePap has on the frail hopeless victims. After the first week there might be an increase of mass by 0.5 - 1 kg. Sometimes you only measure it in the second week of weighing. BUT, what strikes me most

is the changes in the eyes and mouth. The eyes were once bewildered balls in the skeleton, but it brings joy to a caregiver's heart when the light of gratefulness comes back. There comes a softness around the mouth that everybody defines as a smile in place of the scary grin. And believe me, when the bones start walking I want to dance and leap with joy.

This is really an answer to a long awaited dream. "A man is what he eats".

Sr Dina Arends, who serves the outlying areas of Hornlee, Damsebos, Nekkies, Witlokasie, Khayalethu, Bongani; Concordia; Robolola, Joodsekamp.