Franschhoek Hospice
What are the achievements that you are most proud of?
- Overcoming obstacles.
- Staff support during trying times.
- United community.
- Rezoning of our building.
- Uninterrupted patient care during a crisis.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
2024 indeed highlights a story of resilience and determination. Facing the absence of clinical staff, we overcame significant obstacles by partnering with an Employment Agency, navigating the challenges of limited affordable housing. Through these efforts, we successfully rebuilt our team with the hiring of a Palliative Care Nurse and a Social Auxiliary Worker, ensuring the continuity of patient care and reaffirming our commitment to serving the community.
1. What are the obstacles that you may have had to overcome to achieve these?
We temporarily couldn’t provide patient care after losing key clinical staff, including nurses and a social worker. Recruiting new staff was tough due to limited affordable housing in Franschhoek, which made it harder to attract and retain professionals.
2. What would you still like to achieve?
To strengthen our clinical team and ensure all staff undergo Palliative Care training will help us consistently deliver exceptional patient support. Furthermore, to develop new programs and services will better meet the changing healthcare needs of our community.
3. What assistance would assist you in achieving this?
Financial support through grants or donations from individuals, businesses, or organisations could help cover staff salaries, training, and operational expenses.
STAFF SUPPORT DURING TRYING TIMES
We supported the new nurse by enrolling her in a Palliative Care course to enhance her skills. To ensure uninterrupted patient care during the transition, we engaged a retired Hospice Sister to temporarily fill the gap.
1. What are the obstacles that you may have had to overcome to achieve these?
Onboarding new staff while providing Palliative Care training created additional pressure, but we managed to maintain high-quality care throughout the transition.
2. What would you still like to achieve?
To foster organisational growth by attracting more qualified professionals will strengthen our team and support future expansion, and to explore innovative approaches to palliative care will improve services and serve as a model for others in similar situations.
3. What assistance would assist you in achieving this?
Forming partnerships with healthcare institutions could create a steady pipeline of trained professionals or interns eager to gain experience in Palliative Care. Additionally, securing sponsorships or scholarships for staff would enable them to pursue specialised training, further enhancing our expertise and care quality.
UNITED COMMUNITY
We united the community during a critical time, drawing strength and determination from their support. This encouragement helped us find solutions, allowing us to avoid closure or merger and maintain our mission and independence.
1. What are the obstacles that you may have had to overcome to achieve these?
Maintaining community support during uncertain times required us to communicate clearly and rally people around our mission, fostering trust and unity to navigate the challenges together.
2. What would you still like to achieve?
To deepen community connections by raising awareness about our mission will encourage support, and to collaborate with other organisations will expand resources and strengthen outreach.
3. What assistance would assist you in achieving this?
Boost community engagement by involving more local volunteers in non-clinical roles like fundraising, event planning, and administrative support. Additionally, to run awareness campaigns to inspire continued advocacy and support for our services.
REZONING OUR BUILDING
We successfully began the sale and rezoning of our building, received an Offer to Purchase, and are making strides toward financial and operational improvements.
1. What are the obstacles that you may have had to overcome to achieve these?
Rezoning the building and advancing its sale brought administrative and logistical challenges, requiring significant focus and persistence to navigate successfully.
2. What would you still like to achieve?
To achieve financial sustainability, we will sell our building and make operational adjustments to strengthen our stability. Furthermore, we will address long-term housing challenges to improve staff recruitment and retention.
3. What assistance would assist you in achieving this?
Partnering with other healthcare providers or hospices to share resources, mentorship, and pursue joint initiatives, and to connect with organisations that can offer expertise in property rezoning, fundraising strategies, and staff retention.
UNITERRUPTED PATIENT CARE DURING A CRISIS
We ensured uninterrupted care for our patients by temporarily transferring them to Drakenstein Hospice during the staffing shortage, reflecting our unwavering commitment to their wellbeing.
1. What are the obstacles that you may have had to overcome to achieve these?
Temporarily transferring patients to another hospice posed the risk of care disruptions, but we mitigated this through careful coordination and clear communication to ensure their well-being remained the top priority.
2. What would you still like to achieve?
To provide ongoing training and development opportunities for our staff will ensure they remain equipped with the latest practices in Palliative Care, enabling us to continually improve the quality of care we offer.
3. What assistance would assist you in achieving this?
To secure government or policy – engage with local authorities for initiatives like incentives to attract healthcare professionals to the region, while advocating for better access to affordable housing for essential healthcare workers.
- Colleen Douglas
