7 October 2020

7 October 2020

Published every Wednesday by CXpress 2006 (Pty) Ltd - PO Box 1449, Plettenberg Bay 6600 - 6 Park Lane, Plettenberg Bay - Tel: 044 533 1004 - Fax: 044 533 0852 Email: editor@cxpress.co.za / advertising@cxpress.co.za Web page: www.cxpress.co.za Printed by Group Editors

FREE

Gardens rock!

Award-winning urban agriculture specialist Josephine Katumba is one of the 2020 Garden Day ambassadors who will don a flower crown and lead this year’s celebrations on Sunday October 11. See the story on page 2, and turn to page 7 to find out how you can help restore Bosky Dell Rose Garden to its former glory.

Newsflash! Local residents with an appreciation for the green-fingered arts can now diarise Plett’s next Open Gardens Day on Saturday November 14.

10 000 FREE COPIES OF CXPRESS DISTRIBUTED ALONG THE GARDEN ROUTE EVERY WEDNESDAY

2

CXPRESS

NEWS & VIEWS

7 October 2020

Man about Plett now has a chance to claim ‘man of the nation’ title Words & photo: Leigh Dunn

OR the first time in history, a Plettenberg Bay local features as Top 10 finalist in this year’s national Mister South Africa competition, which defines its ideal victor as ‘bold and confident; strong and humble; responsible, respectful, resilient - the man of the nation’.

I had the pleasure of chatting to my friend Kyle Hans during a lovely dinner sponsored by Plett’s T’Niqua Stable Inn to celebrate his Top 10 achievement, and it’s an honour to share some information about him with CXPRESS readers.

The 31-year-old Plett resident is single, sporty, and runs his own business. Kyle regards himself as an all-rounder and loves motivational speaking while also pursuing several charity drives to benefit his local community.

For the past year, he has been supporting various local charities including Reeza Frail Care in Kranshoek, Sikabuhle Orphanage in KwaNokuthula, and Beyond A Glance NPO through community work and fundraising.

F

Currently, his focus is on initiatives supporting October’s Breast Cancer Month activities, while also furthering mental-health awareness issues through a campaign that will benefit local charities, such as orphanages and shelters.

Part of these plans includes handing out pink and green cupcakes to the neediest among his fellow residents, and he encourages anyone who would like to get involved to contact him on 071 427 5415.

Let us support this local finalist with the big heart!

Kyle wishes to thank everyone who has been voting for him so far and reminds us to continue voting, so enabling Plett to boast being the hometown of Mr SA 2020. Please take note that voting is open until October 18 - the day on which he is due to fly to Cape Town to attend the pageant.

Kyle is a strong believer and never shy to share his faith. He is confident that he can represent our town and region on the national stage, and we can make a difference by voting for

So, what’s so good about spending time in the garden?

N Sunday October 11, South Africans across the country will celebrate their unique green spaces and gardens in every shape and size.

Created by gardening app Candide in 2016, Garden Day is a growing movement uniting people in their love for plants and flowers.

This year’s occasions is especially poignant. Over the past few months, South Africans have turned to their green spaces to find solace and balance.

Gardening has been proven to

O

boost both mental and physical well-being and create a sense of belonging and connection.

With spring in the air, it offers a chance to pause, reflect, and celebrate a season of new beginnings. From enjoying an outdoor picnic with your family to sharing your green haven with friends online, take a moment this Sunday to celebrate the greenery that brings you joy.

Visit www.cxpress.co.za and read ‘The happiness effect of gardens’ for 10 good reasons to spend time in your garden.

him: send an SMS to 40439 with the words ‘MRSA94’. It only costs R2 per SMS and unlimited votes are allowed.

We wish Kyle the best of luck - visit the official Facebook page of Mr South Africa (Pty) Ltd for more information.

AWESOME ALL-ROUNDER: Kyle Hans is confident that he can compete with the country’s coolest men to bring home the Mr South Africa crown

Notice Board • Knysna Plett Concert Series presents pianist Christopher Duigan on Monday October 12 at the DR Church hall in Fichat Street.

“After a long enforced break, we are opening up for musical business on Monday, for the penultimate concert of the year for the Knysna Music Society,” says KPCS chair Penny Smythe-Rathbone.

Duigan is widely regarded as one of South Africa’s leading pianists who has performed with all the leading national orchestras as well as in Mexico, Spain, Poland and England, and further afield.

In Knysna, he will perform a Beethoven sonata in honour of the great composer’s 250th anniversary, and follow up in the second half, with shorter lighter classical pieces which will be familiar, even to the less classically informed listener and will give us all a wonderful evening of beautiful music to

enjoy. Some of the pieces to be played will be Preludes by Chopin, Clair de Lune by Debussy, and a Rachmaninov prelude.

Seating will be arranged for social distancing and the audience must wear masks.

“It will be wonderful to have live music once more after all the online performances we have been able to watch,” says Penny.

Tickets are sold at the door from 6.45pm (R150 and R50 for scholars) and the show starts at 7:30pm.

• The next Plett Fun Quiz in aid of Tanaka Foundation will be held on Friday October 23 at 6:30 for 7pm at PB Bowling Club in Challenge Drive. Enter as soon as possible to avoid disappointment: teams of six maximum - R100 per person includes supper and a full evening of fun as well as team and individual prizes.

Email barryricketts48@hot mail.com or call Barry on 072 890 6238 to reserve your seat.

NEWS & VIEWS

7 October 2020

CXPRESS

3

Scourge of the nurdle returns to local beaches, with disastrous impact on marine life Recent stormy weather highlighted a major pollutant along the coast as thousands of tiny plastic pellets washed up on numerous Garden Route beaches, from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay and several coastal areas in-between, over the past few days - YOLANDÉ STANDER reports LASTIC pellets, known as nurdles, are used in the manufacturing of plastic products and started appearing on South African beaches after a massive nurdle spill in Durban Harbour during October 2017.

The spill occurred as a result of a Mediterranean shipping company container being knocked overboard in a collision with another vessel during a storm. About 49 tonnes landed in the ocean.

Scientists have expressed

P

growing concern over nurdles as not only do they concentrate and attract background pollutants, but they also never break down completely, only fragmenting into smaller plastic particles.

Furthermore, nurdles are often mistaken for food by marine animals and end up in their diets. Apart from being toxic, they cannot be digested and thus cause digestive blockages, starvation and, ultimately, death.

Plett-based conservation organisation Nature’s Val-

ley Trust (NVT) is urging beachgoers to collect the nurdles when coming across them. The pellets will be disposed of safely, while assisting in the organisation’s related research.

NVT conservation ecologist Brittany Arendse explained that the recent nurdle wash-up was not new in the area, but that the plastic pellets made it to shore following severe storms.

This has been happening sporadically ever since the Durban nurdle spill.

She added that so far less than 10% of all the nurdles that ended up in the ocean have been retrieved.

Members of the Strandloper Project marine environmental initiative [see story on page 4], currently on their annual expedition, said the wash-up of nurdles

on local beaches was “overwhelming”. They conducted a density study that indicated 329 nurdles per 35cm2 with a maximum of 1,587.

Arendse urged beachgoers to place the collected nurdles in separate containers and to indicate on the containers from which beaches

the plastic pellets were collected. These can be dropped off at either of the NVT offices (Lion Roars House off Longships Drive, and in Nature’s Valley).

The Plett Tourism office in the CBD is also designated as a drop-off point.

Garden Route Media

Jobs data show dire impact on economy HE Quarterly Labour Force Survey Data for the period April to June, released by Stats SA last week, confirmed that the hard lockdown had a significant impact on employment in the Western Cape, and indeed, across SA. While the expanded unemployment rate in the province remains the lowest in the country, 321,000 jobs were lost in the Western Cape between the first and second quarters of 2020.

Hardest hit sectors include manufacturing, which reported a year on year loss of 85,000 jobs; trade (68,000); finance (67,000); construction (66,000); and private households, where 45,000 jobs were lost.

These figures were a sobering confirmation of the extreme impact the lockdown had on the livelihoods of Western Cape residents, said premier Alan Winde in a statement last week.

“It is for this reason that the Western Cape Govern-

T

ment continually lobbies for the safe reopening of our economy, to save jobs and avoid a second pandemic of unemployment.

“We have also provided support and advice to help businesses open and operate safely, with online training sessions in our weekly #GoDigital webinars.”

Winde said his government’s focus was now firmly on moving forward safely towards recovery, assisting the private sector as primary employment creator, and finding ways to save jobs in key employment industries.

“Our team is currently exploring ways to quickly increase employment. Among these are working with municipalities to increase the number of Expanded Public Works Programme projects in the province, and reducing red tape to speed up investments and projects to create jobs,” he said.

During the last week of September, the Western Cape Government also an-

nounced that R27-million in relief funding had been availed for small businesses in both the formal and the informal sector. Applications close on October 12 and more information can be found at www.western cape.gov.za (search for C-19 business relief fund).

The return of international tourism from October 1 was expected to have a positive impact on job creation in the Western Cape.

However, Winde berated national government for its belated publication of countries on the no-fly list.

“Airlines and travellers alike should be able to make informed decisions, while businesses prepare to safely host visitors during the summer season. Stakeholders across the board must put the safety of visitors and residents at the forefront of their planning and response strategies,” Winde concluded.

Visit www.cxpress.co.za for the latest C-19 stats.

S SALE 35% OFF

Garden Route

We’ll pay you

SALE

R10 000 to keep you safe this spring Sign up with us today to get 3 months free home security and a chance to win R10 000.

Dial *120*310*14# now and choose the best security for your home.

Valid from 1 Sep 2020 - 31 Oct 2020

086 12 12 340 | adt.co.za

Ts & Cs apply

Dial *120*310*14# and follow the prompts. *Standard USSD apply.

Selected Sunglasses Keeping you safe, securing your assets.

4

CXPRESS

Read CXPRESS online @ www.cxpress.co.za

NEWS & VIEWS

7 October 2020

Marine-surveillance expedition now in full swing along our coastline N the relatively relaxed restrictions of Level 1 lockdown, getting out of the house and into nature has become a necessary routine for most people to counter the limitations of Covid-19 life.

While most people are happy to head out for one or two hours hiking or cycling at a time, the Strandloper Project team are currently nearing the halfway mark of Expedition 2020 - a 12-day coastal trek between Nature’s Valley and Wilderness to document washed up fishing debris and plastic pollution.

“From desktop planning, it was hard to determine our actual distance that will be covered,” said expedition leader Mark Dixon. “The coastline is mostly rocky with regular cliffs, scalloped bays and sloped geology, making daily progress slow.

“Maps indicate a total

I

distance of approximately 135km, but we learnt our lesson last year, having anticipated 185km and ending up doing 210km - something that the team constantly teased me about.

“Anticipating more strenuous hiking than their 2019 expedition between Blombos and Wilderness, this year’s itinerary was structured with shorter stages of 8-15km per day. Surveys to map plastic and fishing pollution along the coast are conducted on every 2km and 5km mark.”

Marine mammal strandings, bird carcasses and unusual washed up items are also documented and captured using an application developed using CyberTracker. The value of the data collected can’t be underestimated for local conservation groups, conservancies along the route

and even municipal authorities to better understand and manage plastic waste and devise strategies to reduce the loss of plastic into the oceans.

Last year’s data were vital in pinpointing the source of plastic trash that washes up on the beaches between Victoria Bay and Buffalo Bay. A new survey will this year complement the team’s bouquet of assessments: Baited Remoted Underwater Video (BRUV) surveys comprise daily dives to collect data of fish populations and behaviour.

The value of a daily BRUV study is that it has the potential to compare fish species composition and size variation along the coast flanking both the Tsitsikamma and Goukamma Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

These areas are estab-

lished as a breeding area for fish and as the MPA’s population increases, dispersal fish move out and restock adjacent areas.

One of the largest challenges to planning the expedition in 2020 has been the impact of Covid-19 on businesses restricted by lockdown. Mostly reliant on sponsorship, lockdown has curtailed the extent of support that the expedition has received.

“Still, we have been amazed by how people value the function of the expedition and overwhelmed by the level of support in these challenging time,” said Dixon.

The team of six started trekking from Nature’s Valley on October 2 and will finish in Wilderness on the 13th. You can track their progress live on their Find Me Spot account and learn about their findings on Facebook.

STRANDLOPERS: Team members are, from left, Melinda Morkel, Mark Dixon, Pamela Booth, Amanda Dixon, Chris Leggatt, and Lisa Lesley - visit www.strandloperproject.org/expedition2020. html for more information

HOME & HEALTH

7 October 2020

CXPRESS

5

One in every 28 South African women is affected by breast cancer REAST cancer is the most prevalent cancer among female South Africans, affecting one in 28 women; in urban communities, the incidence is as high as one in eight, according to National Health Laboratory statistics. But early screening and detection of the disease dramatically improves women’s chances of survival and reduces the need for aggressive and invasive treatment.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Breast Imaging Society of SA (BISSA) urges women to regularly selfexamine and have an annual mammogram from the age of 40.

“Breast cancer affects all ages, races and socio-economic circumstances. As frightening as cancer is, the good news is that modern medical advances and early screening and diagnosis result in more patients surviving and beating cancer with less aggressive

B

and invasive treatment.

“The need for early and accurate detection simply cannot be over-emphasised,” said BISSA chair Prof Jackie Smilg.

“Early breast cancer detection reduces deaths, extends life expectancy, and improves life quality, while early detection through mammography enables less extensive surgery, fewer mastectomies, and less frequent or aggressive chemotherapy.”

The goal of screening for breast cancer is to find the disease before it causes symptoms, Smilg said, “and the gold standard remains the mammogram” - which can pinpoint breast changes years before physical symptoms develop.

Regular screening is more likely to find cancers when they are small and still limited to the breast area. This is important for successful treatment and survival, since the size

and extent of the spread are most crucial in predicting the outcome of a diagnosis.

As with all cancers, recommendations for breast cancer screening rely on a combination of factors including evidence about the risk of the condition, the benefits and harms of screening, and the cost.

“Several other imaging technologies, such as tomosynthesis, C-view imaging, and contrast mammography have brought a new dimension to the fight against breast cancer,” she explained.

“Digital tomosynthesis allows multiple levels of breast tissue to be interrogated and it is now possible to create a 2D mammogram from these tomosynthesis slices.

Contrast mammography, where contrast investigates the vascularity of a lesion, is a valuable problem-solving tool.”

For women with a significant family histo-

Spring cleaning for summer? Then please donate to Seeff’s Home2Home Campaign!

ITH summer and the year-end period fast approaching, many households will start their annual spring clean during the next month or so.

Now that we are officially in Level 1 of the national lockdown, it might also be a great time to declutter. “And this,” says Seeff Property Group marketing manager Ted Frazer, “is a great way to dispose of unwanted goods through the Seeff Home2Home Campaign.”

The recently-launched social responsibility drive provides the opportunity for homeowners to donate any unwanted, but working and usable, goods for distribution to the needy, he says.

“The campaign has taken off and has been well received across the board, with many homeowners keen to donate. Our agents have been quite busy arranging for the collection and distribution of items, and Seeff

W

has partnered with organisations who will distribute donated goods to charities.”

Whether you are moving to a new property or just need to do a clean out, most homes have unwanted goods and Seeff now offers you the opportunity to donate from your home to other needy households.

Suitable items include used clothes, home appliances, décor and other household goods, all of which should be in good working condition.

Frazer says that interested locals can contact their nearest Seeff branch to find out how to contribute to this initiative. Use your own boxes or bags for the discarded items; alternatively, agents can provide you with Home2Home moving boxes.

Simply drop off the goods at your local Seeff office, or call the branch or agent to arrange for collection. See the advert on page 3 for current listings and contact details.

ry of breast cancer or special circumstances, mammography can also be followed by ultrasound and/or breast MRI in both screening and symptomatic examinations.

Smilg dispelled a number of myths surrounding mammography, saying there was no scientific evidence to support the idea that the negligible doses of radiation used in modern mammography could cause breast cancer or represent any danger to the body, including the thyroid gland.

She said women were often persuaded by this “irrational fear of radiation risk” to use alternative imaging techniques such as thermography, light-emitting devices, or systems that “feel” masses.

“These methods have scant value in the screening and detection of breast cancer when compared with mammography. They are often operated by personnel with no medical training and no training in conventional breast imaging and may in fact cause more harm by missing breast cancers, leading to delayed diagnosis and limited treatment options.”

Visit www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/ to assess your risk of contracting breast cancer.

SPRING IN THEIR STEP: Seeff Plett rental agents Pierre Brugman and Debbie Morris pore over recently-received donations of previouslyloved clothing and household items

NOW OPEN

0795738656 ĂĚŵŝŶΛƉůĞƩƐƚŽƌĂŐĞ͘ĐŽ͘njĂ ǁǁǁ͘ƉůĞƩƐƚŽƌĂŐĞ͘ĐŽ͘njĂ

CXPRESS

No matter what, there’s always time for a joke HILE trying to explain to our sixyear-old daughter how much technology had changed, my husband pointed to our brandnew desktop computer and told her that when he was in college, a computer with the same amount of power would have been the size of a house.

Wide-eyed, our daughter asked: “How big was the mouse?”

--I just saw some idiot at the gym... He put a water bottle in the Pringles holder on the treadmill!

--A young and foolish pilot wanted to sound cool on the aviation frequencies.

This was his first time approaching an airfield during night-time.

Instead of making any official requests to the tower, the pilot said: “Guess who?”

The controller switched the field lights off and replied: “Guess where?”

--A Sunday school teacher asked her class: “Does anyone know what we mean by sins of omission?”

A little girl replied: “Aren’t those the sins we should have committed, but didn’t?”

--A priest is driving along a country road when a traffic officer pulls him over.

He immediately smells alcohol on the priest’s breath and notices an empty wine bottle in the car.

“Have you been drinking?” asks the officer.

“Just water,” replies the priest.

“Then why do I smell wine?” the officer asks.

The priest looks at the bottle and says: “Good Lord, He’s done it again!”

--If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn’t it then follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

--Last year I entered a marathon. The race started and immediately I was

W

1

2

3

4

5

8

6

the last of the runners. It was embarrassing.

The guy who was in front of me, second to last, was making fun of me. He said: “Hey buddy, how does it feel to be last?”

I replied: “You really want to know?”

Then I dropped out of the race.

--Did you hear about the ancient Egyptian man that launched a successful stone quarry business?

Turns out it was a pyramid scheme all along.

7

9

10

11 12

13

14

15

16 18

19 20

21

22

23

Quick

CROSSWORD

crossword

no 15, 7

6

5

4

3

2

1

9 8 11

10 14 13 12

17 15

16 20

18 19

24

21

s

ent book Testam 14 Old (7) (5) 16 Fiddle (5)

s?

— narcotic

A R T E D L Y W A I E H K I NG S I E E T L A C A R T E E A R E R OD E D D E E A I C S T A Y C D R T E A C A K E U W C N M I N A T E D

17

C O L DH E O E E P E C K I S T R R U X A R S I E R C E H A R C O T O O L L I N L E I S C R I

How many narcissists does it take to change a light bulb?

One. He holds the bulb while the world revolves around him.

How many paranoids does it take to change a light bulb?

Who wants to know...?!

INTERVAL

7 October 2020

C A P I N H A N D

6

ON THE SOAPBOX

7 October 2020

Letters to the Editor

Email: editor@cxpress.co.za - Fax: 044 533 0852 - PO Box 1449, Plett 6600

HELP! Yes, help we will…

The residents of Plettenberg Bay, present and past municipalities, churches, soup kitchens and many other organisations have been bending over backwards to help the thousands of South Africans, who have been migrating from the rural areas into Plettenberg Bay. Members of this section of our population need to find work and make a living, as they are getting no help where they were born.

It is a well-known fact that the Transkei and

Ciskei have the most fertile soil in South Africa.

Sadly, the government is not dividing up land in their home areas for farming and industry. So these South Africans have no option but to seek work in towns elsewhere around the country.

In a normal society, a person would apply for a job stating their skills and qualifications, get a job and then find accommodation before relocating. However, South Africa is not a normal society and most times

these citizens with no real skills or the necessary accommodation just move in, hoping to find both work and lodgings.

They often leave beautiful little homes behind to pursue their dreams.

Unfortunately, they frequently come with a ‘we-demand’ attitude the latest road riots and blockages bear witness to that.

It then becomes very difficult for the municipality and the residents of our towns and villages to meet these demands.

Plett will most likely never become hugely industrialised. People normally come here to holiday, not to start a business. So the question must be asked: are the people of Plettenberg Bay making a rod for our own backs?

What happens in a small town like this, where we can’t hope to accommodate thousands and thousands more unskilled people?

Food for thought, indeed…

‘Accommodating South African’, Plett

Your contribution can save Bosky Dell Rose Garden Since its establishment about 12 years ago, Rae Gilbert’s award-winning rose garden, Bosky Dell, has attracted visitors from far and wide and has become a popular wedding venue.

What could be more romantic than a secluded formal floral haven in a hidden valley, featuring a variety of 6,000 roses, a pond full of waterlilies, and spectacular views from a garden pavilion?

Over the years, Rae has made an enormous contribution to various Garden Route communities by opening her garden for numerous charitable or fundraising events; she and her staff worked tirelessly to make every event memorable.

Rae has repeatedly supported the Plett Open Garden Day for PAWS, and countless concerts and events for Hospice Plett,

the Bitou 10 Foundation, Rotary, Knysna Rose Society, Formosa Garden Club, and many others.

It is a sad fact that all one’s hard work and plans can be unexpectedly thrown into disarray thanks to changing circumstances. When Covid-19 struck, Rae had to cancel all her bookings and eventually let her staff go, as it had become impossible for her to afford keeping them on.

Without the daily maintenance of the garden, it soon became overgrown, but Rae was hoping that she would be able to return to normal. This was not to be, due to the extended lockdown, and she was unable to have the roses pruned in July.

It has now become critical to clear the overgrown beds and prune and fertilise the roses within the next three to six weeks, if

the garden is to be saved.

Rae’s livelihood depends on the weddings that have been booked towards the end of the year. As the gardens are a major feature of the weddings, she will not be able to host these events unless the clearing and pruning is done in time.

Once the gardens have been restored to some semblance of normality, Rae will be able to maintain them from proceeds of her wedding business.

Bosky Dell is a precious place for all on the Garden Route and it would be a tragedy if Rae were forced to abandon her rose garden for want of support. This is why a group of concerned locals are appealing to as many people as possible for financial support to enable Rae to get back on her feet to continue her business and good work

in our communities.

Please help us to help one of our very own, kind and generous residents to resume her valued work.

Any contribution will be most gratefully received and will be used to pay labour to clear the rose beds, to prune the roses and to fertilise them. We will be happy to report back on the use of the donations.

Donations can be made to: Plett Tourism, FNB (branch code 250655), account number 62520118854. Please clearly mark your donation ‘Bosky Dell’ and add your email address.

‘For Rae and Roses’, Plett (A running account of the funding will be published on the Plett Tourism website. Call Cindy WilsonTrollip on 084 521 1876 for more information. - Eds.)

Hospice Plett’s palliative care - so much more than ‘just a job’ Hospice Plett (NPO 026825) provides palliative care to persons living with life-limiting or lifethreatening illnesses.

This care is offered at patient’s homes, or as a consultative palliative care service to hospitals and doctors.

Hospice is a non-profit organisation and care is provided by a multidisciplinary team of palliative care specialists.

The word palliative comes from the Latin word ‘pallium’, which means cloak.

Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain as well as physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems.

This is holistic care, as it is a comprehensive ap-

proach of caring for the whole person including the families involved. So our patients are surrounded, protected, and guarded by a ‘cloak’ of care, comfort, and support.

At Hospice Plett we aim to thoroughly assess the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and family. We address individual needs in a caring and compassionate way and provide relief from pain and other distressing symptoms.

We offer a support system to help patients live as positively and actively as possible, thus maximising quality of life. We use a team approach to provide the best possible service, yet we also need to be careful not to hasten nor postpone death.

To this end, we offer a support system to the family both before, during and after the patient’s death. We begin care at diagnosis of a life-threatening or life-limiting

condition and continue through to bereavement.

Our clinical social worker, Annesta Hofer, and professional nurse Edward Muchenje together with their team of trained and experienced home-based carers assist patients and their families with goals of care.

These goals include controlling the disease, controlling pain and other difficult symptoms, achieving milestones like birthdays, being cared for at home, maintenance or rehabilitation, professional psychosocial therapy and support for loved ones.

These two specialists work with palliative care plans, which are developed after diagnoses and is seen as a holistic assessment. Detailed attention is given to advanced care plans that depend on the stages of illness, and terminal plans that provide care in the last 48 hours of life (referred to as the patient’s terminal phase).

When working with bereavement, the psychosocial team is experienced and prepared to work with sadness, anxiety and the fears of family members unsure about how they will cope.

As each person’s endof-life journey is unique, it is important to provide care that is culturally and spiritually sensitive.

Edward and Annesta agree that they have never considered this calling as a job or work to be done.

Their sentiments are shared by all of us: “This is our passion, our purpose and our destinies in life. Each day we deliver a service to those who need us most, and we feel honoured to walk alongside the end-of-life journey, where so many lessons are learned and compassion observed.”

Cecily van Heerden, Plett (For more information on Hospice Plett’s services, contact their CEO Cecily on 044 533 5616 or at info@plettaid.org - Eds.)

CXPRESS

7

Thank you for putting CXPRESS back in the shops - so good to hold a newspaper in one’s hands. Best wishes.

Peter Stratten, Plett

8

CXPRESS

7 October 2020

Read CXPRESS online at www.cxpress.co.za and visit the CXPRESS Garden Route Newspaper Facebook page for updates

Paws

Plett Animal Welfare Service

CLASSIFIEDS

Handyman on call - no job too small 082 492 4417 / 072 724 6590