CVO Schools
Grocery Support Software
Readers should know that the Homecare Foundation also support children. (Most people think we will only support older people with Multiple Sclerosis or other Motor Neuron related diseases. We actually prepare ourselves to support any patient, where caretakers can proof that they need external assistance to help feed and bath the patient.)
We met Hanno Fourie in 2016. Johan and Chantel (parents) are doing their best to fund Hanno’s medical and living costs. We became close friends with Johan and he agreed to share more info with readers.
Please watch Hanno's video
Hanno was diagnosed in infancy with Spinal muscular atrophy Type 1. This means that he has profound muscle weakness of all his muscle groups as the messages that has to travel between his brain and spinal cord to his muscles are not being relayed by the anterior horn cell. As such he is unable to breathe or eat on his own. He requires 24/7 ventilation through a tracheostomy (small tube in his neck that is connected to his windpipe) with a ventilator. He feeds through a small tube in his stomach. Hanno is unable to sit or even turn by himself which means that he is 100% dependent on his carers for all his needs. Despite all of this Hanno is completely awake, alert and very bright. His cognition is completely normal. He has developed very good speech over the last 18 months and communicates very well.
The medical and other costs is approximately R32 000 per month. Johan was a director at one of the larger private security companies in the Western Cape. (He was eventually forced to sell his shares in the company just to keep up with the medical costs).
Johan cannot get any support from the Red Cross hospitals. He does not qualify according to the Government’s requirements. He is still overpaid and must provide private care.
Hanno was born with the disease. Johan and Chantelle was without expecting it, suddenly in difficult position. What do you do? You have to sell your house, your company, everything just because you love your child and you cannot get government's support?
There are numerous people who are suddenly in a position they did not plan for. We know several older people who took their children into their homes and provide frail care support.
Joost van der Westhuizen was fortunate when he was diagnosed with MDS. The rugby unions all clubbed in to help him with medical costs.
The problem is that there are younger people being diagnosed with incurable diseases. Most of the parents do not want to put their children (aged between 35 and 50) in old aged homes where frail care services are provided. They don't want to expose the children to elderly people.
The parents (already often retired themselves) then hire people to help with the caretaking. The parents are to old themselves to bath the patients. It could easily cost up to R14 000 per month to support MS patients. The Frail Care period could be up to 8 years which then cost millions.
We know of many older people who lost all their savings to look after such patients. The elderly people then approach the churches and ask for financial support.
This is why the Homecare Foundation was founded. There are more than 5 000 MS patients in South Africa who are being cared for at home. We develop technology that can raise up to R124 million per month, that will be used to help fund such patients.
The Extra Grocery software we develop will on its own enable a caretaker to receive approximately R5 400 per month for groceries without our financial contributions out of the tourism industry or out of the private security industry.
Diagram
Support towards church congregations
It is often difficult for church leaders to help congregation members.
The “http://www.xtragroceries.co.za/” platform is being developed to enable family and friends of the caretaker to help with the high frail care costs, without asking them for large donations. Our research showed that 20 family/friends/congregation members who know the caretaker can easily raise R5 200 per month, by simply purchasing their own groceries via the software platform. (The R5 200 will be raised without any energy we put in on other structures to help fund the caretaker’s costs.)
We cannot expect any of these people to purchase groceries at a specific group for example Pick n Pay. The families supporting the caretaker must be able to purchase groceries at their preferred stores.
The software platform we develop will enable us to collect for example 5% of one family’s groceries purchased at Woolworths and load the 5% credit onto the caretaker’s gift-card where the caretaker purchase at Shoprite.
It is one of the most important software platforms we develop. It will reduce the pressure on congregations. Church communities will therefore be willing to support the other platforms we develop to also add additional funds towards the caretaker’s costs. (More detail about the XtraGroceries software platform is available on the Registration page again)
Additional project information.
When a caretaker applies for financial support, the application form asks the caretaker to list the Pastor, Preacher or Minister who is in contact with the patient.
We explain that we need the person to visit the patient so that the application can go through. The church must be informed about our support and we might get additional support from the rest of the congregation if they know that the Homecare team do our best to provide financial support.
If the caretaker cannot list a preacher, then we explain that we will ask one of our panel members to visit the patient at home.
We do this for more than one reason. First, we want to verify that the application is not fraudulent. We also use phone technology to monitor if the patient is still alive before we release funding towards the caretaker. This include support from social workers (child protection services) and volunteers.
The main reason however is to ensure that people who have almost no time left to reconcile their lives with God can be reached…
We know that there is still a long road ahead… Our board will only feel that we accomplished our goal, once this important service has been launched.
We hope that Christians reading this site will share in our vision.