Durban - The Association For the Aged (Tafta) has put two of its buildings, Langeler Towers and John Conradie House complex under strict lockdown after a second person living in the care facility was diagnosed with Covid-19.
The decision, however, has rattled the elderly residents in the facilities who have been told to stay inside their rooms and have been barred from leaving the buildings until July 14.
Tafta has warned that anyone who did not wish to comply with the rules must find alternate accommodation.
Residents who spoke to IOL raised concerns about how they would pick up their chronic medication under the strict lockdown rules, keep doctors appointments. Some still work part-time and fear losing their income if they cannot go to work.
The residents who spoke on condition of anonymity as they fear being victimised by management said the spread of Covid-19 in the building was a concern to them and they have been largely kept out of the dark.
They were also considering their legal options, they said.
They said that while screening has taken place in the buildings they feel that all residents should be tested for coronavirus.
Following the panic that spread through the care facilties this week after the emergence of the second confirmed case, the management of Tafta met with the residents on Tuesday where they were informed of management’s decision to lockdown the facility at the advice of visiting Department of Health officials, Tafta said.
According to Tafta this is in order to isolate infection within the facility and prevent the spread of the virus both within the home and outside the home, through the movement of residents and visitors in and out of the building.
“Elders were provided with an opportunity to ask questions and were also provided with a written letter explaining what was discussed in the meeting and were given a grace period until the morning of 25 May 2020 when the facility would stop all movement into, and out of the home for the foreseeable future in order to contain the spread of the virus. This ruling included residents who are currently working,” Tafta CEO Femada Shamam said.
Shamam said the communication to residents also states that those residents not wishing to comply were asked to seek temporary accommodation until the lockdown period was lifted was necessary as the management continues its screenings and track and trace processes and while they await the results of elders who were tested and placed in isolation last week already.
Shamam said that following Tuesday's announcement, building management have been inundated with threats by a group of dissenting residents who wish to continue living at the facility and continue going out to work and on other errands on a daily basis.
“These individuals continue to seek the support of media and have threatened us with legal action, as well as intimidated staff on duty, attempting to protect other residents in the building. This is a building complex with adjoining assisted living, independent living and frail care facilities. While some residents do not share communal facilities, many of the individuals wishing to leave and re-enter the home on a daily basis do share accommodation with others and we cannot allow them to risk the wellbeing of other, isolating elders abiding by the rules of lockdown.
“We have already addressed their concerns around access to finances and have already explained that we would be willing to assist those in need with letters to employers to explain the need for isolation, but they continue to harass and intimidate staff. We will not allow this situation to continue and we will continue with plans to implement a lockdown in the interest of the vast majority of elders in this building with whose care we have been entrusted,” Shamam said.
According to Taft these were the questions that were raised at the meeting and the answers provided.
How will elders collect private pensions or do ATM withdrawals in order to pay rental and other responsibilities if they are not permitted out of the building from Thursday onwards?
This question was raised by the elders in the open forum session held this morning at Langeler Towers when all elders were addressed. They were informed that those who were state pensioners would still receive their state procured pensions via Tafta. They would still have access to the in-facility grocery store on the property to purchase essential goods throughout the Lockdown period. Those receiving private pensions and other sources of income will also be assisted. The entire Tafta social work team has been deployed to the site to assist and support elders with these concerns.
Why won’t those who work not be allowed out?
As with any household in which a household member has tested positive for the virus, other householders would have to declare their exposure risk to their employer and would have to self-isolate. We have been guided in this decision by the Department of Health to minimise risk of virus spread to others that our elders may be in contact with outside the building, and our elders themselves from those residents who choose to leave and re-enter the building on a daily basis. We have therefore stated that those elders who still wished to carry this risk and not comply, were asked to use the grace period to seek alternate temporary accommodation until the Lockdown is over.