Staff Enriched by Visit to Sister Hospice in South Africa

(left to right) Terri Peterson, Stacy Orloff and Susan Bruno

Three Suncoast Hospice employees are in South Africa visiting our sister hospice – Hospice Association of the Witwatersrand (Hospice Wits). They are Suncoast Hospice’s Theresa "Terri" Peterson, a care team chaplain, Stacy Orloff, vice president of palliative care and community programs and Suncoast Hospice Institute’s Susan Bruno, director of institute business.

The staff have felt welcomed and enamored by the loving, joyful spirit of the Hospice Wits staff and the people they serve. They have been sharing their daily experiences with us back home, including providing education and team–building activities to their staff, observing their hospice care and soaking in the culture and history of South Africa.  

“I feel so privileged to share my skills with our sister hospice and to learn from them about caring compassion at all times,” shared Susan. This week, she told about some heartwarming home visits with patients and families. She had a touching experience reuniting and going out with Penny Mathe, a social worker who was part of the group that visited Suncoast Hospice last fall.    

Susan wrote, “Today we traveled the roads, some paved and some not, in Soweto to visit a few of Penny's patients. One patient was a woman living with AIDS, who lived with her daughter and granddaughter in an 8x10 hut made of cardboard, blankets and tin. Penny assessed the woman’s need for a food parcel and the possibility of moving her to another location with better shelter, while the community care worker (hospice aide) gently massaged her hands and arms to comfort her. They all spoke in their native language, Zulu. The universal language of hospice was understood by all of us. The patient was so appreciative of everything Hospice Wits has done for her.”

Want to hear more about their trip and our sister hospice? Visit our Care4Soweto blog.

Suncoast Hospice Hosts South Africa Hospice Visitors

(left to right) Bev, Dorcus, Penny and Ntombi visit Suncoast Hospice

Suncoast Hospice has a special, longtime partnership with Hospice Association of the Witwatersrand (Hospice Wits) located in Soweto and Johannesburg, South Africa. Four Hospice Wits staffers recently came here for two weeks as part of our rotating staff exchange. Three of our staffers plan to visit Hospice Wits next month.

Our visitors were Bev Tembo, unit manager of Soweto Hospice, Dorcus Ramakuela, palliative health services manager of Soweto Hospice, Penny Mathe, social worker and Ntombi Hatta, home care nurse.  They met and shadowed many of our staff and volunteers and participated in several activities.

Dorcus presents

They presented at one of our leadership meetings, sharing incredible stories written by some of their patients, many whom are poor and/or infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. They also spoke about their roles and Hospice Wits’ care and services. They provide two inpatient units for adults and children, home care, psycho–social support, child care, day care, medical equipment/loans, thrift stores and donations of food and clothes.  

Ntombi discussed how she provides care to patients and families who live in impoverished and dangerous areas. She works to build relationships with them and their communities. “I like to visit the whole family to get all their history, answer their questions and establish a relationship from day one. It makes it easier for me to give the ongoing care,” Ntombi said.

Ntombi talks with admissions staffers Renee Leandri (left) and Sue Rice 

Penny makes home visits with patients and families and works in the inpatient units. She shared how she often provides assistance to those in need. “I’m working with very poor communities. I find myself doing case management, coordinating food parcels and clothes for entire families. We’re grateful for the support we receive from Suncoast Hospice,” Penny said.

Hospice Wits also provides a lot of community education around disease, medications and hospice care, which still carries a stigma. “We’re trying to develop a program to educate physicians on palliative care,” Dorcus said.

To learn more about our partnership, please visit care4soweto.org.