The latest reports from Zim give us an indication of the dire need of the vulnerable old folk we support.
The need for assistance continues to grow, which has a massive impact on our welfare and medical funds, but is also hard for the carers when we are forced to turn people away because we simply do not have the funds to be able to offer support.
Mrs D.
I visited a local care home where I assessed Mrs. D, a widow who is currently living in the care wing. She approached us asking for assistance as she has no income. Her son has a very poorly paid job in the charity sector, and unfortunately finances are extremely tight.
Her daughter owns the house she lives in, but she too is not in a liquid financial position and is unable to contribute towards her mother’s expenses at this time. After assessing the situation, we feel that Mrs. D. would benefit from downsizing to a smaller room, which would make her monthly expenses more manageable for her son.
Her health is generally stable, although she struggles with ongoing stomach issues, which means her diet and meals need to be carefully managed. At this stage, we are not able to assist her as we do not have the funds to do so, but we will keep her on the waiting list and reassess when money becomes available.
As is usually the case as we go into winter, many of our pensioners take ill. This time, it seems to have been worse than ever, with many being hospitalised and a lot of deaths, which takes its toll on our carers.
In one of the regional care homes, another two people passed away at the beginning of May, making it a total of 7 in the past 6 weeks. The negative impact on residents and the home’s financial status is significant. The residents there are struggling with the cold, as it is much colder than in other places in the country.
Jim M
Jim M’s condition was stable after a second stint in the hospital, but it didn’t take long for him to deteriorate, and the staff had to send him back to the specialist as he was struggling to breathe.
Sadly, he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. After being moved to the frail care facility for palliative care, he passed away after a week of being told of his diagnosis.
His friend, Frank D. had also been struggling and was too frail to manage the car trip to the doctor, so a home visit was organised. He passed away soon after the doctor arrived to attend to him.
* Names and images may have been changed for privacy reasons
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