Readers’ Views My mom’s six-week Serendipity nightmare left her traumatised

FURTHER to your article “Old folks’ hell at home of horrors” (October 26), my mom was a resident at Serendipity Home from mid-April until the end of May.

When I phoned Sharon Roberts to inquire about availability, she said there was one bed available. Serendipity was, prior to 2008, a very sought-after old age home. My husband and I went to view the home, and although I was disappointed in the maintenance, I was told they were in the process of renovating.

I was still in doubt whether to send Mom or not. But as it was increasingly difficult to care for her at home, we took her to Serendipity that weekend. (My mom suffered a massive stroke about 30 years ago, which resulted in her being paralysed on the right side; her speech has deteriorated over the years.)

I popped in often — on my way to work in the morning, sometimes during the day and also on my way home at night.

I collected my mom’s dirty laundry on a daily basis, thank goodness, and dropped off clean items the next day. I packed her own cereals, but learnt after we removed her from the home that these were never given to her. I was eventually asked to stick to visiting hours — that way, I would not be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She complained daily about the bad food and bad treatment from the nursing staff. I witnessed a nurse wheel my mom from the dining area one evening. Her right foot got stuck under the wheelchair and the nurse continued to wheel her to the room, while my mom tried to tell her she was hurting her.

I complained to the nurse on duty the next day. I received a phone call from the nurse to apologise and that evening received a call from the social worker, who told me that I would be called in for a meeting/hearing with the nurse and Sharon. I learnt a few days later that the social worker was asked to leave.

I could see my mom was unhappy and traumatised, but I thought it would just be a matter of time before she adjusted to her new surroundings. As my mom started losing weight, I decided to bring her home and was fortunate to get a home nurse for her. She cried for days and was extremely traumatised. Every time we spoke about the home, she would burst into tears.

We battled to get all the information from her, but she told me a few times they “hurt” her while washing or dressing her. This facility should be closed immediately. — Val, by e-mail

Heroic duty by a nurse

LOZITA Benjamin, from one nurse to another, you did a real heroic duty by a real nurse. Be proud. — Valma BanksRoythorne, by SMS

Mother-in-law happy in home

MY mother-in-law is a resident at Serendipity, and not once has she complained about being ill-treated or abused.

If anyone would notice things like those Serendipity is being accused of, it would be my mother-in-law. She is bright and still very with-it. She would have reported it long ago.

Each time my mother-in-law has fallen ill, one of the staff has contacted me to ask if they should get a doctor to see her. Just recently she had an operation and was away from Serendipity for two weeks, due to complications from her operation, but the staff of Serendipity never forgot to phone, asking how she was and sending get-well wishes.

They cared for her after her operation and did a good job helping her rehabilitate. Does this really sound like people who don’t care? — Mark Swanepoel, by e-mail

Cattle key to Zulu defeat

I WOULD like to salute S’thembiso Msomi for his enlightening piece “The true and abiding legacy of Nkandla” (October 26).

What was missing was the economic relevance of the Anglo-Zulu War. Lord Chelmsford, as the article correctly points

Five in postwar Germany

I WAS born in Berlin, on November 6 1943. Deprived of many normal pleasures children have nowadays, my birthday wishes were always for [Enid Blyton’s] The Famous Five.

When I received my desired gift, I instantly forgot that I was the party’s important person. I curled up with one of my gifts to read and looked lovingly at the others to follow. Thanks for your lovely write up, Jemima Lewis. — Heide, by e-mail

Seeing our history anew

MARTIN Meredith’s “Oceans of poverty still lap at Africa’s few islands of wealth” (October 26) refers. Quality education for all African citizens in 54 African countries would be the first solution for Africa, co-ordinated by African Union influence. — TD Nongayiyana, by SMS “AN absolute knockout” (October 26) refers. I am always fascinated when reading about the Rumble in the Jungle. It just goes to show that believing in yourself and your talents and abilities can make you a champion. Becoming a champion and having the capacity to forgive is also important.

Role models such as Muhammad Ali spur me on. — Fikile, Nelspruit

I know Mr Pink-Whistle

AT age six, I could not get enough of Enid Blyton’s yarns. I devoured them left, right and centre.

If my mom wouldn’t buy me one I caught sight of in a book store I would sulk big time until she gave in.

Thanks to Miss Blyton, I learnt spelling, punctuation, paragraphing and a myriad English skills. And her books kept me out of mischief, and kept me quiet for many hours. out, did get his revenge on Cetshwayo, who had defeated him at Isandlwana.

At the time the mineral wealth of South Africa in the form of gold and diamonds had recently been discovered. The Zulu people were seen as the main candidates to be used as cheap labour to exploit the wealth that lay in the belly of the soil.

What stood in the way of this being achieved were the abundant herds of Nguni cattle. It is estimated that before 1850 there were four to five million of these cattle in what is now known as KwaZulu-Natal. With these animals in their custody, no amount of persuasion would lead the Zulu into mining activity.

In 1879, at the close of the Anglo-Zulu War, Sir Garnet Wolseley ensured the end of the Zulu royal herds by slaughtering and confiscating what remained. Jeff Guy recounts these facts in his book The Destruction of the Zulu Kingdom.

His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini is now the patron of the Nguni herd of cattle. When Queen Elizabeth was on a state visit to South Africa, His Majesty gave her an Nguni bull as an act of reconciliation ( ukubuyisana) for the atrocities committed by Wolseley. — Temba Vundla, Johannesburg I STUDIED history up to honours level. I have never in my life enjoyed a historic article like I did S’thembiso Msomi’s on the Nkandla legacy. In the second half of my century, I am seeing our history in an illuminating, different light. Siyabonga, Msomi. — Ntombi Xulu, by e-mail

Education will save Africa

Lifted up by knockout champ

Top schools proud of priests

I WAS most interested to read your article on the cost — and value — of education at our elite private schools.

There is just one thing that your reporters missed, perhaps because it’s a very subtle thing, and you need to have attended one of these private schools to discover it. My mother missed it, too. She BRINGING JOY: Enid Blyton in 1949 with her daughters, Gillian, left, and Imogen, right

I know a fellow who looks just like Mr Pink-Whistle. I doubt that he has magic powers, but he reminds me so much of the character that I call him Mr Pink-Whistle.

Thanks for taking me down memory lane. — Elizabeth Outram, by e-mail was prepared to starve the family to have me at St John’s, because, like so many others, she saw it as a place that produces people who will become rich. But that is not at all what these schools are about.

These are church schools, and their priority is to produce good Christian citizens. To these schools, the fact that a good education may make you rich is secondary. The message that we got from our alma mater was not that we should go out to make millions. It was that we could be whatever we wanted to be, as long as we did it well.

These old schools are understandably proud when they note, in their annual magazines, that such and such an old boy is now the chairman of this or that corporation. But the greatest pride is reserved for those old boys who are ordained into the ministry.

To a church school, that is the pinnacle of achievement. And priests do not make a lot of money. — Ron McGregor, Cape Town

Troubled kids with poor parents

I’M concerned about so much money for school fees. How much do the people of South Africa earn? If you can see most of the nyaope [street drug] children, they are those whose parents are poor — no food, clothes or money to pay expensive school fees. — Sondi Matlala, Ga-Rankuwa

Truth about women and weight

MAY I be given the opportunity to respond to “‘Slow-slimming women’ not welcome on diet crash-course” (October 19) regarding the weight-loss programme I run for insulin-resistant men.

To start with, I am not currently the team doctor for the Sharks, and was not for 13 years. I am a proponent of low-carb diets for both men and women who display insulin resistance and I do run a successful medically supervised weightloss programme for the former.

However, the article’s author knowingly omitted that I also consult with many women on a one-on-one basis.

Women are thus not “banned” from the programme, but are simply catered for in a different way.

The weight-loss results in women who follow a low-carb diet are indeed variable, not “slower”, as I am alleged to have stated. Many women respond really well to a low-carb eating strategy, while there are some who don’t and there are valid physiological reasons for this.

Your journalist, however, made the assumption that all women “don’t lose weight fast enough”; it has to be her assumption as I did not state that.

All my responses to the journalist’s questions I have in writing. Unfortunately that person chose to manipulate my quotes to fit a preconceived agenda to sensationalise a pretty mundane issue. — Dr Glen Hagemann, by e-mail

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