Supported Living, a form of health-care service that has become popular in the US and UK, is making inroads into South Africa.
This comes as Olinda Chapel, the founder of Gain Healthcare, an internationally recognised health-care and wellness service and facility that offers 24-hour support to individuals with a learning disability and/or a mental health disorder, expands her footprint to South Africa.
Supported living, or supportive living, has been described as a community living arrangement which allows individuals and groups living with disabilities and their families to gain support for their physically and mentally affected family members by allowing them to gain or retain their independence and interdependence in their communities.
Chapel says this is achieved by offering diagnosis in a person-centred approach that emphasises the importance of regular training of the facility’s health-care workers.
Chapel, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the health-care sector, says the primary aim of assisted living is to provide a safe and homely environment that promotes empowerment, independence and choice, while enhancing Gain Healthcare’s tenants’ daily living skills, enabling individuals to move on to a less supported setting.
This, she says, is part of her deep commitment to promoting healthy living and wellness among Gain Healthcare clients through an inclusive decision-making process.
“Where possible, we involve tenants in the decision-making process that affects the service we provide them. Each supported living property has its own monthly tenants meeting where all tenants have the opportunity to make staff aware of their feelings, viewpoints and ideas. Tenants are supported to use external advocacy services,” she says.
Chapel takes her team through regular meetings and training sessions to ensure team and individual growth.
“Team meetings for the staff team take place on a monthly basis, as do individual supervision sessions for each team member, giving staff the opportunity to voice their opinions and give feedback to the registered manager about the service being offered. The company conducts annual surveys for both staff and tenants.
“All tenants and those involved in their care are made aware of the service’s complaints policy and are encouraged to offer feedback through individual reviews and family forums.”
When it comes to empowering health-care providers, Chapel says she regularly take her staff through training in health and safety fire awareness, infection control, first aid and other health-related services.
“As a specialist health and social care company, we live and breathe the care sector. That, together with our honest and friendly approach, ensures that a growing number of our clients look to us for their needs. Our teams deliver a personal service that meets your needs.
“We are dedicated to meeting your needs for temporary nursing and care staff, home-care services and provision of supported living. We will respond quickly and reliably to all your requirements as our commitment is to match your needs with the right service.”
The Star
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