Inspiring change
"Philippa Pienaar moved into Rusoord in Brandfort in September 2002. Mrs Pienaar
was showing early signs of dementia and couldn’t be cared for at home any longer.
Her health began to deteriorate rapidly after her husband died in 2005. She grew
distant and continuously cried out for help and her late husband. She also stopped
walking and refused to be brought to a standing position. Her condition made it
difficult for the staff to care for her and her behaviour upset the other residents.
In 2008, Rusoord opened a dementia care unit and Mrs Pienaar moved in. Thanks to
the GERATEC's involvement and guidance, the staff in the new unit were trained and
equipped with expert techniques to care for and stimulate these special residents.
One method that has proven to be very effective was for each resident to keep a
journal to capture memories from their past, their family and personal details.
The person-centred approach allowed Mrs Pienaar to rediscover her passion for flower
arranging and her compulsion to cry out subsided dramatically.
The benefits of the new training and techniques are measurable and everyone - from
the manager to the cleaners - bought into the new approach through the user-friendly
programmes. The results speak for themselves.
Mrs Pienaar passed away in 2011. The spontaneous and homely approach to her care
made her last years joyous and meaningful. The home was very happy to be able to
give her journal to remember Mrs Pienaar for the wonderful mother, grandmother and
great grandmother she was."