Late in April, the Community and Mental Health Department from The School of Nursing and Public Health (SoNPH) paid a visit to the Katutura old age home. The elderly home, which is located on Richard Tjiramba Street, Katutura, Windhoek, accommodates elderly people from all parts of the city.
The departmental staff gave health education on Scabies as the infectious disease has caused outbreaks in various regions in Namibia, including Khomas. The education was deemed necessary as scabies thrive in crowded places of which nursing and old age homes are part of. They also donated bath soap and winter socks. Most of all, department staff shared a meal and socialized with the elderly. Although the home receives various visits and donations, it was noted that hardly any visitors mingle with the residents so the department opted to bridge this gap. Not only did this make the residents feel loved and appreciated, it also provided a much-needed boost to quality of life.
An estimated 24 residents of the home and 4 staff attended the activity which was held in the home’s conference room. A follow-up visit to determine the impact of this engagement will be conducted in the near future.
Overall, the engagement was a success. The home residents thanked the University for its dedication to the community. They shared how joyous it was for them to share a lunch with the department and narrated how delicious the meal was. They also requested the University to consider more of these activities as they convey much-needed information to the old people especially since they have limited contact with the community.
Group staff members:
- T. Endjala
- W. Wilkinson
- E. Kamenye
- T. Amakali-Nauiseb
- M. Nakweenda
- S Shalonda
- S Ndafenongo
- R Gabriel
