UCT students keep elderly citizens company

17 September 2020 | Story Carla Bernardo. Read time 4 min.
UCT medical students have been keeping elderly citizens company over the phone and online during the COVID-19 lockdown. <strong>Photo</strong> <a href="https://pixnio.com/media/covid-19-elderly-face-mask-grandfather-infectious-agent#img_info" target="_blank">Bicanski / PIXNIO</a>.
UCT medical students have been keeping elderly citizens company over the phone and online during the COVID-19 lockdown. Photo Bicanski / PIXNIO.

A group of medical students from the University of Cape Town (UCT) are keeping elderly citizens company during the national lockdown – from a safe distance. The initiative is known as Adopt a Granny/Grandpa and is the work of the student-led UCT Surgical Society (SurgSoc), in partnership with social housing provider Communicare.

SurgSoc was established in 2006 and is affiliated with the Department of Surgery at Groote Schuur Hospital. It’s a group of over 600 medical students who have a passion for surgery, research and outreach. Before the pandemic, their activities included arranging talks, workshops, research projects and outreach initiatives.

During the earlier stages of the lockdown, Communicare approached SurgSoc after the students had run a successful vaccination education campaign with elderly residents. The students jumped at the opportunity, this time by providing elderly residents with companionship during the lockdown.

“This initiative is a unique opportunity to give back and assist our fellow community members through lockdown,” said Alana Williams, SurgSoc’s head of social events and outreach, and a fifth-year medical student.

“The elderly are so often forgotten in many projects and aspects of society, and this initiative was an excellent opportunity to honour them. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share.”

SurgSoc
The SurgSoc poster calling for volunteers. Photo Supplied.

When the ongoing initiative was launched in July, Communicare paired volunteers and residents based on common interests and values. Volunteers were also provided with a list of guiding questions, tips and techniques to assist them with making weekly phone calls to their paired granny or grandpa.

“It’s an excellent opportunity for bonding, sharing experiences and providing a kind and compassionate listening ear,” said Williams.

She added that if volunteers are worried about the health and well-being of their paired grandparent, Communicare is available for additional assistance.

Golden nuggets

Williams, who is one of the volunteers, said that she has received many “golden nuggets of knowledge” from her paired granny. She added that her adopted granny also inspired her with her active lifestyle, which includes long walks, yoga and meditation.

Chanelle Pretorius, another student volunteer, said that the greatest lesson she has learnt from her adopted grandpa is the value of family.

“Nothing cheered him up more than speaking about his children and grandchildren. I could almost hear him beaming with pride,” she said.

Pretorius, who is a fourth-year medical student, wanted to volunteer in the hopes that she could help ease the suffering of elderly people during lockdown. She said that the loneliness many older people face has been exacerbated by the pandemic, and those who do have caring families have been cut off from their support systems.

“I thought this was a great way to provide support and upliftment to a granny or grandpa who is most likely missing their lifestyle and support systems.”

While Pretorius hoped that the initiative would provide her with an opportunity to uplift her adopted grandparent, she found herself receiving “heaps of joy and upliftment” in return.

“I never realised how much I had been missing human connection until forging a new bond via telephone.”

Experience and knowledge

The students hope that the initiative will continue even after lockdown restrictions have been lifted.

Williams said that SurgSoc wants to increase the number of student volunteers and would like to branch out into other projects that enhance the health and well-being of elderly people.

“We can learn so much from the grannies and grandpas who have so much experience and knowledge that they can pass onto us as young students and emerging health professionals.”


Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Please view the republishing articles page for more information.


UCT’s response to COVID-19

COVID-19 is a global pandemic that caused President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a national disaster in South Africa on 15 March 2020 and to implement a national lockdown from 26 March 2020. UCT is taking the threat of infection in our university community extremely seriously, and this page will be updated with the latest COVID-19 information. Please note that the information on this page is subject to change depending on current lockdown regulations.

Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, has in June 2022 repealed some of South Africa’s remaining COVID-19 regulations: namely, sections 16A, 16B and 16C of the Regulations Relating to the Surveillance and the Control of Notifiable Medical Conditions under the National Health Act. We are now no longer required to wear masks or limit gatherings. Venue restrictions and checks for travellers coming into South Africa have now also been removed.

In July 2022, the University of Cape Town (UCT) revised its approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic on UCT campuses in 2022.
Read the latest document available on the UCT policies web page.

 

Campus communications

 
2022

Adjusting to our new environment 16:50, 23 June 2022
VC Open Lecture and other updates 17:04, 13 April 2022
Feedback from UCT Council meeting of 12 March 2022 09:45, 18 March 2022
UCT Council
March 2022 graduation celebration 16:45, 8 March 2022
Report on the meeting of UCT Council of 21 February 2022 19:30, 21 February 2022
UCT Council
COVID-19 management 2022 11:55, 14 February 2022
Return to campus arrangements 2022 11:15, 4 February 2022

UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre

On Wednesday, 20 July, staff from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences came together with representatives from the Western Cape Government at the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre at Forest Hill Residence to acknowledge the centre’s significance in the fight against COVID-19 and to thank its staff for their contributions. The centre opened on 1 September 2021 with the aim of providing quality vaccination services to UCT staff, students and the nearby communities, as well as to create an opportunity for medical students from the Faculty of Health Sciences to gain practical public health skills. The vaccination centre ceased operations on Friday, 29 July 2022.

With the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.

 

“After almost a year of operation, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, located at the Forest Hill residence complex in Mowbray, will close on Friday, 29 July 2022. I am extremely grateful and proud of all staff, students and everyone involved in this important project.”
– Vice-Chancellor Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng

With the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.


Thank You UCT Community

Frequently asked questions

 

Global Citizen Asks: Are COVID-19 Vaccines Safe & Effective?

UCT’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM) collaborated with Global Citizen, speaking to trusted experts to dispel vaccine misinformation.



If you have further questions about the COVID-19 vaccine check out the FAQ produced by the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF). The DTHF has developed a dedicated chat function where you can ask your vaccine-related questions on the bottom right hand corner of the website.

IDM YouTube channel | IDM website
 

 

“As a contact university, we look forward to readjusting our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in 2023 as the COVID-19 regulations have been repealed.”
– Prof Harsha Kathard, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning

We are continuing to monitor the situation and we will be updating the UCT community regularly – as and when there are further updates. If you are concerned or need more information, students can contact the Student Wellness Service on 021 650 5620 or 021 650 1271 (after hours), while staff can contact 021 650 5685.

 

TOP