Minister Fritz celebrates Bellville resident turning 100 years old

The Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Albert Fritz, joined the birthday celebrations of Mrs. Johanna February, who turned 100 years old yesterday.

Mrs. February, a resident of Bellville in Cape Town, celebrated her birthday with her family (including her 8 surviving children) and friends at a party held in her honour. Amazingly, Mrs February continues to walk unassisted and lives independently with her family.

There are 520 000 people over the age of 60 years in the Western Cape. The Department of Social Development (DSD) places great emphasis on empowering older persons, and not treating them as one homogenous grouping.

As such, in terms of our older persons social and health assessment there are 3 categories once a person turns 60;

Some older persons live on their own, others with family or friends, and some move into a residential facility (Old Age Home). Full 24 Hour care is needed should an older person become frail and vulnerable, develop dementia, have a stroke, or any other debilitating disease.

The Older Persons Act of 2006 prescribes three types of residential facilities;

1.      Independent living,

2.      Assisted living,

3.      And, frail care facilities.

The department has over the past five years nearly doubled our funding to NGOs rendering support services, residential and assisted living facilities to the elderly, and now spend just over R237-million assisting them.

The department funds a total of 345 organizations which provide key services to older persons, with a special focus on promoting a developmental approach to ageing. This approach seeks to keep older persons in their families and communities for as long as possible.

The department does not run or manage any residential facilities, and thus makes subsidies available to registered homes. In this regard, proof of governance and sound financial skills according to the PFMA act is paramount.