We offer a number of services under the umbrella of palliative care:

Palliative Care

• Advice on the control of pain and other symptoms
   
• Teaching & training of health care professionals
   
• Compassionate care for children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions
   
• Counselling for children and families
   
• Age-appropriate HIV disclosure counselling
   
• Home visits and assessments
   
• Support through bereavement

Umduduzi treats children as people, not just as patients, and seeks to ensure that children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions receive the best possible care and comfort.

Step-down Unit

Based at Clairwood Hospital the step-down unit aims to provide an environment where the quality of life of the chronically ill child is improved through better control of distressing symptoms and where death is inevitable this happens in comfort and with dignity. While the child is an in-patient we aim to control distressing symptoms and teach the child’s caregivers how to manage the child’s condition. This would allow the child to spend as much time in his/her home environment as possible. In addition to this the psycho-social needs of the caregivers will be attended to in the form of emotional support as well as bereavement counselling should the child die.

Play Programme

Play is an integral part of healing. A structured play programme takes place daily at Clairwood Hospital for all the children in the ward. This is facilitated by a play co-ordinator

Basic Child Health Care Training

Hlengiwe Gumede runs a 5 day training course in Basic Child Health Care. This course - originally designed by the Bigshoes Foundation – covers: early identification of illness, home based care, accident prevention, baby and child CPR, access to and understanding of the health care system, patient rights and support for sick children and their families. Through early identification, life-limiting and/or life-threatening illnesses can be avoided altogether or at the very least, managed more effectively. 

The course is offered to all people caring for children either in crèches, children’s homes or community based organisations. 

Location

Durban, South Africa

Website

Facebook page: Umduduzi - Hospice Care for Children