How many people are in a room?
All our rooms are private with an ensuite bathroom.
Do I share a bathroom?
Read the question above, dammit, we do not treat ADHD here. You have your own bathroom, which is just for you. All our bathrooms (except for two rooms) are totally wheelchair friendly and have emergency buttons so carers can be summoned at all times (24/7).
What is the most common reason people stay at the Recovery Lodge?
We have a variety of people who stay here. We have many trauma patients, which means they were in some sort of accident. (Motor vehicle accidents are very common, but we also often see people who were injured during an adventure sport, or were charged by an elephant on safari, or even people who fall from buildings after they’ve had a spiked drink – you cannot believe the stories!). We also always have a few joint-replacement recovery guests. After a shoulder-, hip- or knee replacement, it is extremely difficult to adapt in your own home while managing pain and daily living activities. We cater for this unique type of recovery and help people in the first difficult stages before they are able to manage at home.
We also take care of people recovering from or dealing with various illnesses, like people who have had a stroke, a severe case of COVID or for those who are going through cancer treatments like chemo, immunotherapy, target therapy and radiation. We do not however, do any recoveries related to a psychosis or infectious disease.
Then, we also have a wonderful niche market for palliative care (which is symptom management of a terminal disease) and end-of-life care, which is similar to hospice care, but where we specifically focus on your dignity and you, and your loved ones’ emotional needs. We firmly believe that the end of life can be beautiful and gentle and offer unique care to make that a reality.
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What will my routine be when I stay at the Recovery Lodge?
We work on the basis that you are in control of your own routine. We will never wake you up and my staff and I adjust to your body clock. If you sleep late, we let you sleep until you are ready to face the world. If you want to wake up with the hadedas we will be ready with a cappuccino and rusk as soon as you want us to be.
What are the visiting hours?
We have no visiting hours. We fit in with your loved ones. We understand that set visiting hours are limiting and might cause additional stress for everyone. Your loved ones are welcome to come any time and they are encouraged to share social occasions like meals or a little braai with you to remind you of usual social interactions. We also encourage loved ones to spend the night on occasion if we see that it will enhance your emotional wellbeing. We keep a close eye on your visitors to make sure they do not exhaust you. In fact, we sometimes even have a “safe word” so you can let us know that it is time for your visitors to leave, and we will gently ask them to let you rest and come back another time.
What food do you serve?
We have an incredible chef who has cooked for Bill Clinton and Elton John. He cooks something delectable for each meal and does not stick to a routine or set menu plan. I am amazed at the wonders he creates on a daily basis. It really is better than any restaurant. He also adjusts to your dietary restrictions and tastes. We often have patients who have very specific requirements, and chef Dylan then works alongside the dietician of your choice to create the best possible plan.
Will my stay be covered by medical aid?
All international medical aids pay us and we accept guarantees of payment from most of them. South African medical aids have settled accounts before, but tend not to, as we have decided to not register with the BHF (Board of Healthcare Funders) and by law, it is required that medical aids only pay BHF-registered facilities. We have discussed, pondered, researched and have had endless discussions with health care professionals and consultants as to whether we should get an official license and work under the BHF and the dreaded department of health. The answer is a consistent “NO”. Apart from our costs rising dramatically by employing a host of additional staff, many professionals believe that working with the department of health actually prevents good care. Oh, and then you also need to employ additional admin staff whose fulltime job it is to chase medical aids and beg them to pay you. For now, we are happy to just be a lodge that offers exceptional love, care and commitment, and leave being an institution to other facilities who charge much more per day than we do.
What other services do you offer that will make me feel like myself?
We have a wonderful hairdresser, Alan, who comes in any time you need him to wash and blow-dry hair. He has fancy equipment that enables him to wash your hair whilst you are in bed! This works wonderfully well for those who are not able to leave their beds. Alan also cuts hair, and we have another hairdresser that does colouring and highlights. We have a nail technician and other beauty therapists that come and do all sorts of pampering, as well as a masseuse who comes to rub your aching body. If you want to go out, we are happy to send a carer with you, and will arrange the needed transport. We are also happy to arrange special meals you crave and to do shopping for you. In short, we will our best to do whatever you, uniquely need, while you are with us.
How do you I call for assistance?
On arrival, you receive a buzzer that you can press whenever you need a carer. Our shifts are 24/7 and we get to the room within seconds. There is also an emergency buzzer in the bathroom. For people who are unable to press a buzzer, we check on them as much as needed depending on what is agreed upon between the medical team and loved ones.
What do I need to pack?
This list is dependent on your personal needs, but usually just your clothes, toiletries and medication. We have everything else. It is handy to bring your phone charger and a good book or two… and your cell phone and laptop if needed. If you are up to working a bit, we make provision for that and have fantastic Wi-Fi and everything you need to carry on with your day to day life as far as possible. On the other hand, if you just need to restore and rest, we ensure that your environment is as peaceful and restful as possible.
How does it work with medication?
You have the choice of administering your own medication, or we will assist you. On arrival, we make a spreadsheet detailing your meds, dosage and what times medicines need to be administered. Our team then keeps a detailed log of all mediations taken.
Do you take vitals?
Yes, we take vitals three times a day, unless it is requested that we do it more or less frequently. This information is also recorded on your data sheet and we can share it with your medical team. We also make notes of your emotional needs. Your physio and other therapists’ notes are included on the sheet and we jot down which visitors you had so we keep track of all the details. If necessary, we record all medically relevant details for your doctors, like when you have a bowel movement and have passed urine.
How do you communicate with us?
This depends on you. For many of our guests, we set up a group chat to inform the family of their progress or just to provide a daily update. This is especially helpful for overseas family and also family of end-of-life patients. These groups will include pictures, videos and anything special we observe. For palliative and end-of-life care, we have an additional chat group which includes the medical team to ensure that everyone is kept informed of the guest’s needs and status.
What admin do I need to do?
You will be asked to go through and sign an indemnity form, as well as a registration form. You will pay a fully refundable deposit and an invoice to cover your stay.
What are your rates?
Our 2023 rates are R2050 per day for a standard room and R2650 for an executive suite. We charge R45 000 per month for our end-of-life patients. If you want a loved one or companion to stay over with a patient, we charge a small fee for this.
What happens during loadshedding?
We have an inverter and on the odd occasion that the batteries run out, we also have a generator.
Do you have an uninterrupted water supply?
Yes we do, we have a great filtered borehole supply and are not reliant on municipal water.
What kind of staff do you employ?
We do not use agency carers and some of our carers have been with us for two decades. We have both male and female carers and depending with whom you are most comfortable, we will make sure they attend to you most often. People comment on our staff daily, that they genuinely love their work and we operate more like a family than a business with a huge amount of compassion and care for one another.
What can I expect when I get there?
We will either fetch you from hospital with a wheelchair or you can arrange your own transport. People arrive in ambulances fairly regularly. On arrival we will welcome you and take you to your room. We will assist you with your unpacking and get you settled in. Most importantly, we will give you a buzzer that you can wear around your neck so you can call for assistance any time, day or night. We then record your medicine and its dosage on our iPad and record the administration thereof. It is very common for our guests to see a physio. You can either use the physio you had in hospital, as this is great for continuity, or we can make use of another physio of your choice, or you can let us choose one of our trusted suppliers. If you need other therapists, like a specialised neuro physio, an OT or a psychologist or social worker, we can assist with this too and will arrange the times and schedule on your behalf. We also focus on your loved ones’ needs and often arrange family meetings and counselling sessions. There is a huge amount of laughing and crying at this lodge. We check what your dietary requirements are and discuss them with our chef. Usually, before you arrive, we check what your favourite meal is and chef Dylan prepares it upon your arrival. We also make sure your tummy works. Usually the medicine makes you constipated, so it is vital that we get some action in that department. We will remind you to take your prescribed laxative and will add fiber to your diet.
What is unique about what we do?
We believe in a personalised, guest-centred approach that takes a holistic view of our guests needs. We ensure that we never lose sight of your humanity or personhood, or that you become primarily a “patient”. We care deeply about each guest and their loved ones and do all we can to ensure a gentle recovery or a peaceful, beautiful end of life journey.