Cape Town - Children who have special needs and are terminally ill can now be cared for in a home away from home after a city children’s hospice opened its doors.
The Iris House, the first special needs children’s home in the country - which offers community and hospice-based respite care - was officially opened on Tuesday by Premier Helen Zille.
The charity organisation, which started its work four years ago, had been offering its services in children’s own homes as it had no space of its own.
After acquiring a derelict building and funding from the provincial government, the house was revamped and will now offer services, including educational activities, various therapies and stimulation to children with special needs and those who have life-limiting health conditions.
Sue van der Linde, who started the charity in 2011, said the house would provide day services to families of children with conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism, and other severe neurological syndromes.
Unlike traditional hospices where patients were institutionalised, Van der Linde said the house would be community-based and provide day services “to give moms and dads of these children a break”.
“We believe that kids belong in their own family care. Our service will be that of providing support to these parents, giving them a break to go out and have time to themselves instead of caring for their sick child 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” she said.
In 2012, the provincial government provided funding to allow for the expansion of their services.
To date the Department of Social Development has provided R1.7 million towards this initiative.
Currently Iris House has 155 registered families who are provided with support and free respite care services.
Cape Argus