Senior citizens residing in the Quigney’s Langham House old age home are slowly being relocated to other accommodations ahead of the frail care’s closure in December 2019.
Prohibitive maintenance bills to keep the 1904 building in good shape and the escalating costs of 24-hour frail care have led to the decision to close the home which is run by Leisure Homes for Senior Citizens.
The NPO also runs Kennersley Park in Beacon Bay and DJ Sobey in Buffalo Flats.
This week there were just 29 residents left in the gracious building which housed 88 elderly people in February last year and was once a hotel. Fifteen staff members have already been retrenched with the remaining 55 facing an uncertain future.
“I think it’s a sad thing because Langham House is very much like a home,” said housekeeper Lizanne Buckeberg.
“We are small enough to treat people individually and give one-on-one treatment, but many have been moved to DJ Sobey or Kennersley Park and some have gone to live with their families.”
According to the home’s website, Langham House consists of 43 bedrooms, 13 of which are en-suite and offers nursing, all meals, room services and laundry to residents over 60. It also has a section for residents who have dementia.
Nursing services manager matron Elmarie Gower, who has been employed at Langham House for nine years, said although the building was beautiful, it cost R1-million a year to maintain.
“It is a very old building and gets leaks and toilet and shower blockages. Because there are so many cockroaches in the Quigney it also has to have regular fumigations. It has been running in the red for years, but it was the cost of maintenance that . The second floor is empty and now the first floor is half empty.
Buckeberg said she too would be faced with losing her job. “I will have to find something else,” said the housekeeper.
Gower said most of the residents had been transferred to Kennersley Park as rooms became available.
Those who did not have family able to pay the shortfall not covered by the government subsidy and their monthly pension were being relocated to DJ Sobey old age home.
“Our residents love it here. There is lots of stress for those moving.”
She said 15 employees had already been retrenched with 55 jobs on the line.
“We are taking one day at a time. The longer residents can stay at Langham, the longer I can stay with them. People feel at home here. Nothing is outsourced and we have our own kitchen and our own laundry. Everyone is part of the family and some staff have been here for 28 years and started when it was run by the South African Red Cross.”
Leisure Homes for Senior Citizens bookkeeper Frankie Sutherland said the Department of Social Development subsidy of R1 700 per month per resident had not increased since 2008.
“This played a big role in the decision to close. “It has become more difficult for families to afford old age care. It’s very hard because we still have to give the best care.”
She said Langham House residents who were transferred to Kennersley Park would not be charged more to stay at the Beacon Bay facility.
Sutherland said the Fleet Street building would probably be sold, but could not confirm rumours it would be turned into student accommodation.
“The future of the building still has to be discussed by the board.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Old age home winds down
Prohibitive maintenance bills to keep the 1904 building in good shape and the escalating costs of 24-hour frail care have led to the decision to close the home which is run by Leisure Homes for Senior Citizens.
The NPO also runs Kennersley Park in Beacon Bay and DJ Sobey in Buffalo Flats.
This week there were just 29 residents left in the gracious building which housed 88 elderly people in February last year and was once a hotel. Fifteen staff members have already been retrenched with the remaining 55 facing an uncertain future.
“I think it’s a sad thing because Langham House is very much like a home,” said housekeeper Lizanne Buckeberg.
“We are small enough to treat people individually and give one-on-one treatment, but many have been moved to DJ Sobey or Kennersley Park and some have gone to live with their families.”
According to the home’s website, Langham House consists of 43 bedrooms, 13 of which are en-suite and offers nursing, all meals, room services and laundry to residents over 60. It also has a section for residents who have dementia.
Nursing services manager matron Elmarie Gower, who has been employed at Langham House for nine years, said although the building was beautiful, it cost R1-million a year to maintain.
“It is a very old building and gets leaks and toilet and shower blockages. Because there are so many cockroaches in the Quigney it also has to have regular fumigations. It has been running in the red for years, but it was the cost of maintenance that . The second floor is empty and now the first floor is half empty.
Buckeberg said she too would be faced with losing her job. “I will have to find something else,” said the housekeeper.
Gower said most of the residents had been transferred to Kennersley Park as rooms became available.
Those who did not have family able to pay the shortfall not covered by the government subsidy and their monthly pension were being relocated to DJ Sobey old age home.
“Our residents love it here. There is lots of stress for those moving.”
She said 15 employees had already been retrenched with 55 jobs on the line.
“We are taking one day at a time. The longer residents can stay at Langham, the longer I can stay with them. People feel at home here. Nothing is outsourced and we have our own kitchen and our own laundry. Everyone is part of the family and some staff have been here for 28 years and started when it was run by the South African Red Cross.”
Leisure Homes for Senior Citizens bookkeeper Frankie Sutherland said the Department of Social Development subsidy of R1 700 per month per resident had not increased since 2008.
“This played a big role in the decision to close. “It has become more difficult for families to afford old age care. It’s very hard because we still have to give the best care.”
She said Langham House residents who were transferred to Kennersley Park would not be charged more to stay at the Beacon Bay facility.
Sutherland said the Fleet Street building would probably be sold, but could not confirm rumours it would be turned into student accommodation.
“The future of the building still has to be discussed by the board.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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