July 3, 2002
The City of Johannesburg owns 34 municipal old age homes, and is spending R800 000 on upgrading them this year. Thomas Thale pays a visit to one and comes away impressed
At 68, John Sargeant spends his days tending the garden and the sparkling swimming pool in the tranquil grounds of Casa Mia Villa, one of the 34 old age homes owned by the City of Johannesburg. As if to spite winter, the flowers in the garden have bloomed, bearing testimony to the loving attention they get from him. "These are the shasta daisies and these are the marigolds," he explains patiently.
Casa Mia is an eight-storey building in Soper Road, Berea. Despite its location, the facility still manages to exude a serene atmosphere. The home has a capacity to accommodate 189 people, but only 86 of the units are occupied at present. Sipho Dikhoba, acting manager of the facility, explains that this is because the building was not properly maintained and some of the rooms fell into a state of disrepair.
The council has now embarked on a project to upgrade the homes. Work at the Nederburg Retirement Centre, another facility in Joubert Park, has already started. The Nederburg has 53 rooms, but 17 stand empty and will only be occupied once the renovations are completed.
The pleasant surrounds of Casa Mia Villa in Berea
Sid Clark, deputy director of social services in the city, said R800 000 will be spent on the renovations this financial year. A total of R500 000 was spent last year. "We will upgrade the homes one by one. The Casa Mia and the Nederburg will be refurbished this year."
Sargeant is one of the 86 senior citizens who have made Casa Mia their home in their twilight years. For his stay in a bachelor flat inside the facility, he pays rental of R227 per month. This amount is for board and lodging. He describes the Casa Mia as "a good place to get fresh air". Double rooms are reserved for couples.
To Sargeant, even the neighbourhood is safe. In the seven years that he has stayed in Berea, he has not had any nasty experience. "I venture out all the time. I do my shopping in Hillbrow - people get used to you - and you shop and buy things from hawkers - they get used to you. Only people who are insulting and make racist remarks get threatened."
The dining room at Casa Mia Villa
Dennis Ndlovu, the kitchen supervisor, said the menu in the facility rotates daily. This afternoon, they had frikadels, mashed potatoes, gem squash and coleslaw for lunch. "We also have people who require a special diet, for instance those with diabetes or heart disease," Ndlovu explains. "For such cases, we steam the vegetables and boil the meat to make sure that they don't eat rich, oily foodstuffs."
To keep them occupied, the elderly are often taken on tours. The council draws a distinction between old age homes and retirement villages. Albertina Ramogase, the regional director of social services, says that old age homes provide meals but retirement villages are self-catering facilities. In all cases, the council provides cleaning and maintenance services.
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