The Living Cornerstone
The Living Cornerstone was born from a vision in February 2008. It all started through another project – delivering meals to the needy old and frail people in our community.
Vision
Hope for the future, gives power to make a difference and a firm foundation for the present.
Mission Statement
Our aim is to provide a loving homely secure environment and to create dignity and independence as far as possible for all our residents irrespective of race, colour or creed.
The Living Cornerstone was born from a vision in February 2008. It all started through another project – delivering meals to the needy old and frail people in our community. Because of this we came across a number of underprivileged / lower income groups of people at various stages of Alzheimer.
These folk were living on there own and not coping too well. Their bodies were fed but not their minds? There was no stimulation. They were lonely and insecure. Because of the financial constraints of the families involved, the cost of getting a caregiver in to look after their loved one was beyond their means. Therefore, they were often left on their own during the day. Some of these folk wandered off and got lost.
Some were confined to a locked up house or even worse a locked room. Some even showed signs of sexual abuse. We have come across many sad cases in our little village alone and there are many more out there that we do not know about.
Alzheimer’s is a debilitating disease for the sufferer as well as their family and caregiver. It is not easy to accept that your loved one will be there in body but not in mind. It is hard to think that someone you have known all your life will eventually not know who you are. The Living Cornerstone is there to help one cope with the inevitable, to lighten the load and provide a secure environment where sufferers are cared for in a loving, homely atmosphere, a real home from home ambience.
Our homes are run on Godly principles. A strict daily routine for the residents is in place. This includes walks twice a day with a caregiver outside of the fenced property. This is to enable the residents to integrate with the community.
We serve the communities between George and Plettenberg Bay
Who are TLC Beneficiaries
People like this 71 yrs old. She is not the only sad story. The Alzheimer’s association asked TLC to take this lady into our care.
During the day while the family were at work she was left with a neighbour who was an alcoholic. She was either locked up or left to roam the streets while her carer went to the shebeen. Her behavior the 1st night she was with us was typical of sexual abuse.
Even after being with us for 6 months she still became hysterical when she had to be undressed to have a bath or get ready for bed. Unfortunately/fortunately she does not remember what happened but does associates getting undressed with what the boys did to her.
She reached that stage in Alzheimer’s where she could not communicate or feed herself and was incontinent. She only received a state pension.
There was no one to help pay towards her care. TLC had to supply her toiletries and incontinence necessities etc which came to over R2700 per month. She was in our loving care until the day she died (29 November 2015)
One other resident a Xhosa lady’s whose family wanted to take her out of TLC because we asked them to buy the nappies. This Xhosa lady was bed ridden and we could not allow them to take her out. She also lived in a shack and would have stayed alone all day on her own with nobody to feed her or give her water. Her family hardly ever visit her.
Another sad case. 86 year old with 1 sister and no financial means. TLC could not refuse to take her in. We cared for her free of charge for 3 months before she died. At the time she came to us the only words she would say were “Please God take me” from morning to night. She was completely bed ridden and had to be fed liquids and baby food with a syringe.
Her brain eventually regressed to when she was an infant lying in her mothers womb. She eventually died in the fetal position. Fortunately TLC was able to care for her to the end.
Our residents range in age from 64 to 99. (The 64 year old was 58 when he started with Alzheimer’s.) We have a semi blind man in the advanced stage of Alzheimer’s in our care as well.
Other Beneficiaries
Other beneficiaries are our staff. We send them on training courses especially in Alzheimer’s care. (This is through the Alzheimer’s Association who comes through to Sedgefield) This is to give the carers a purpose & to help them to better themselves so that they in turn can look after the residents with confidence. We have 34 staff members from all walks of life and would like to give them an opportunity themselves.
Although our main aim is in the care of the Alzheimer’s sufferers and besides training for the carers they also need physiological therapy support. Being an Alzheimer’s caregiver one is in a highly intensively pressurized 24/7 care situation and work under extreme mentally taxing conditions.
Caring for Alzheimer’s sufferers is not easy. The staff gets accused by the residents for just about everything that they themselves have hidden away. The staff get kicked, smacked, spat at, insulted and food thrown at them. The training is to help them cope with all of this and to keep focused on the person and not the result of the disease.
What we plan for the future
The Living Cornerstone’s long term plan is to be on a farm. This will be divided into 3 sections and will be built up in 3 phases.
Phase 1: The Alzheimer’s homes. (This is the main function for The Living Cornerstone)
Phase 2: Tunnel farming. (To help TLC to be self sufficient)
Phase 3: Cottages (for the old folk who can’t look after themselves and are unable to afford the cost of an old age home.)
There is much more that we have envisaged for the future of The Living Cornerstone. If you require more in-depth information of what the future holds for TLC please contact Gilda Scammell 084 544 1203 or email info@thelivingcornerstone.co.za
THE LIVING CORNERSTONE being a registered Public Benefits Organization N°. 930038731. in terms of Section 18A of the Income Tax Act 1962 all donations and sponsorship’s are tax deductible. A tax donation certificate will be issued on request.
Our LOGO explained
1. The rock is what TLC is built on. It is our firm foundation (God) and what we provide for our residents.
2. The old dying tree represents the residents when they come to TLC
3. The green leaves is Hope. The new Hope we give to residents in our care and their families.