Cape residents stop relocation of the aged at old-age homes

A follow-up on CPOAs decision to relocate the residents at Nerina Place in Bishop Lavis, residents say they have been reliably informed that the residents will be moved today and vowed to stop this from happening. Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency(ANA)

A follow-up on CPOAs decision to relocate the residents at Nerina Place in Bishop Lavis, residents say they have been reliably informed that the residents will be moved today and vowed to stop this from happening. Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency(ANA)

Published Jan 28, 2021

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Cape Town - Residents against the closure of the three frail-care old-age homes in Bonteheuwel, Bishop Lavis and Heideveld barred a planned relocation of residents by the Cape Peninsula Organisation for the Aged (CPOA).

On Tuesday CPOA indicated that it was going ahead with the relocation of the residents, starting with Nerina Place in Bishop Lavis.

Bishop Lavis Action Community spokesperson Amanda Davids confirmed that no resident was moved yesterday as planned by CPOA. She said they will have a meeting today with CPOA and the Human Rights Commissioner Chris Nissen.

The leader of the opposition in the Western Cape legislature Cameron Dugmore said CPOA with the support of the provincial social development department wanted to rip out the hearts of these communities.

“We are fully behind the community activists and organisations which have come out in a united fashion to say that the facilities should remain open. These senior citizen facilities, one of them which is a high-care facility have been part of the communities for decades providing safe spaces for seniors as many families are not able to look after them in their own homes.

“Our concern is that the social development department which subsidises CPOA has in no way attempted to stop the organisation which say are making the decision for financial reasons, to come with an alternative,” he said.

Cameron said CPOA should give the facilities back to the provincial government so as to secure other service providers to run them.

Department of social development (DSD) spokesperson Esther Lewis said the department has been engaged in meetings with the CPOA since it was informed of the decision to close in November 2020.

The DSD’s role as stipulated in the Older Persons Act is to register facilities, and monitor adherence to norms and standards of care within facilities. While DSD subsidies older persons within facilities, all old-age homes are owned and managed independently, thus the DSD cannot reverse or halt the board’s decision to close the three homes,” she said.

Lewis said CPOA had informed the department that they have consulted with staff, residents, and their families and counselling will be offered. She said they also indicated that the process of moving residents would be done gradually.

She said the older persons who were currently subsidised by the department will still be subsidised when they move to the other facilities.

Cape Argus

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