Neighbourhood Old Age Homes (NOAH) now has a new centre for social seniors living in the Athlone area.
Their expansion will also see more services, including a specialist clinic and possible employment opportunities coming to the area in the next few months.
NOAH already has a house in the area called Millicent Gunn, named after the woman who had bequeathed her private residence to a NOAH partner.
Anne Dobson, Interim Noah Director, says the launch of the centre on Tuesday 9 April creates an extension of the services already offered.
“It has been a wonderful home and sanctuary to many older persons over the years,” she says. “Today really marks the launch of the expansion of this Athlone community of ours.”
This centre will offer programmes for social seniors five days a week and includes arts and crafts projects and items that can be sold to help raise funds for the organisation.
Based on the success of their centres in Khayelitsha and Woodstock, the organisation hopes to open a store selling goods donated from reputable brands at a lower rate, which will also create employment for residents. Officials say they are in the process of locating a premises for this.
Sr Delia Bulcraig, clinic manager for NOAH, says they hope to also open a specialist clinic aimed at treating around 300 residents. This will include foot care and other senior-related treatments at an express rate.
At this stage, they are yet to sign their documentation with the Department of Health and Wellness to operate the clinic in the Athlone area but comes as a package of offerings they hope to bring along with the centre.
The renovated centre is based at the Caritas Cape Town building in Lawrence Road, which is a Catholic welfare and development public benefit organisation.
NOAH was founded by the Catholic Arch Diocese of Cape Town in 1981 but caters to all residents.
Dobson says NOAH was founded out of the need to support seniors who are independent but unable to fully sustain an independent lifestyle on the pension grant and in response to what is known as an aging crisis.
“It is not only about a roof over their heads, but a holistic approach to well-being,” she says.
The organisation currently has 12 communal houses aimed at social seniors over the age of 60 who earn only the SASSA pension benefit. Their goal is to create: “thriving healthy communities, guided by our elders”.
Long-time resident Ann Kolbe says wanting to be independent, she made the decision to move from her daughter’s Strandfontein home around 14 years ago. “When you come into a group like this, it is a family. Everyone has different characteristics and you are going to meet different people,” she says. “It is independent living, you can come and go as you please. When you step into NOAH, you are independent. You cook your own food, you do your own washing, because you are capable of doing so. It depends on you.”
Kolbe will soon be 80 years old and says she is more than happy at NOAH, and will need to be carried out, she jokes.
Bernie Daries, who will assist as the centre co-ordinator, came out of retirement to assist in establishing this centre.
She says their aim is to capatalise on the leadership qualities of the residents and participants which ensures the programmes can continue without any officials, but rather be self-sufficient. The centre is supported by the German foreign ministry.
Athlone Police Station commander Col Junaid Alcock says this self-driven initiative taps into the experience of the elderly, something that goes lost.
“It means a lot to the community, especially the elders. We run a lot of programmes with the elders and we will all embrace NOAH as part of our projects. What you will bring to Athlone, especially the clinic, that will also assist the elders.”
Ward 48 councillor Dr Zahid Badroodien, who shares the location of this centre with ward 49 councillor Rashid Adams, pledged the support of both councillors to the organisation in the work they are doing.
The group is free to join for seniors. For more information on how to join as members, call 021 447 6334.
