Please see list of in-kind donations, maintenance and services required at the bottom of the post
The CANSA Mkhuhla Care Home provides home-away-from-home accommodation for cancer patients, who live far from treatment centres, while undergoing treatment.
Patients’ length of stay varies from four to six weeks, and patients have the option of going home on weekends if possible.
If they are not able to do so they are welcome to stay, however, they have to arrange for their own meals.
If necessary patients may bring a caregiver along to assist them, providing there are beds available, as preference is given to patients.
A social worker is available during the day and a member of staff is on duty at night, ensuring 24 hr support to patients.
The Care Home is situated on the same premises as the CANSA Durban Care Centre.
Location:
The CANSA Mkhuhla Care Home is situated in Umbilo, Durban, next to the CANSA Durban Care Centre, in a secure environment, near the following treatment centres: Hopelands Oncology Centre, Ascott Park Hospital, Busamed Hillcrest Hospital, Parklands Hospital, Durban Oncology Centre, The Oncology Centre, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital, Victoria Mxenge Hospital and Addington Hospital.
There are corner cafes, take aways and petrol station stores in the area and the Care Home is close to Congella Park.
Patients are dropped off at shops or pharmacies en route to or from treatment should they need to purchases any items.
For bookings or more information, contact the CANSA Mkhuhla Care Home on 031 -205 9525 | 0800 22 66 22 | info@cansa.org.za
619 Umbilo Road, Durban, 4001
P.O. Box 17173, Congella, 4013
Cost:
Patients need to bring their own toiletries and towels and any chronic / other medication required during their stay.
Linen is changed and washed weekly.
Fees per day are calculated taking income and medical aid benefits available into consideration. Patients pay R250 per day.
State patients may give a donation according to what they are able to afford.
Facilities:
- Meals: Three balanced meals (breakfast, lunch and supper) are provided daily – meals adapted to the medical needs of the patient
- Capacity: 27 patients may be accommodated (x 6 rooms with twin beds; x 2 rooms with three beds and en suite shower and toilet; single rooms with en suite shower and wash basin). Each bedroom has a bed, bedside table, reading lamp and writing desk.
- Rooms: communal lounge (satellite TV / electric keyboard) and dining room; ladies and men’s bathrooms (wheelchair friendly)
- Outside: A secure garden area (shared with the CANSA Durban Care Centre) – wrap around garden with 2 prayer / meditation areas
Services:
- Transport: Provision of transport to and from treatment centres (free of charge)
- Medical Equipment Hire: Two wheelchairs / walking frames at Care Home (free of charge) and shower chairs
- Assistive Devices: Wigs, breast prostheses, mastectomy and lumpectomy bras, lymphoedema garments, and stoma products from the Care Centre (a reasonable fee or donation is required)
- Information: Hoping is Coping Support Group (based on CancerCare Coping Kit) and information regarding patients’ illness (free of charge)
- Emotional Support: Individual counselling is available at Care Centre (free of charge)
- Recreational Activities: Weekly arts & crafts sessions; occasional motivational speaker or workshop; outings (free of charge)
- Spiritual Support: A weekly worship session led by a non-denominational minister (free of charge)
History:
The CANSA Mkhuhla Care Home was established in 1975, and is named after the beautiful Mkhuhla tree at its boundary wall.
Our aim is to ensure that cancer Survivors (patients) and their loved ones know that they are not alone, and to support them through every step of their cancer journey. To this end our Care Home provides patients with peace of mind, as they receive treatment.
Mrs Van Der Merwe: “It is very nice here – the home is lovely and clean and the food is excellent. The staff are friendly and helpful.
My home is 6 hours drive from Durban and staying at the Mkhuhla Care Home has made it possible for me to have treatment for my cancer.
I thank God for this home and the people who work here. I have enjoyed the prayer groups and also the Support Group, where we heard a talk on nutrition for people living with cancer by a dietician.
I am looking forward to next weeks craft group. To people with cancer, I would say , ‘Keep your courage, keep your faith, keep taking the treatment and keep on going!’”
Tracey: “I had a friend staying at Mkhuhla many years ago , and now have another friend in the care of your system .
I am so grateful that there are still facilities in Durban to care for cancer patients with the dignity and attention they deserve.”
Funding:
The CANSA Mkhuhla Care Home relies on donations from the public in order to continue providing a home-away-from-home to cancer patients.
No government funding is provided.
Please consider making an online donation to support the CANSA Mkhuhla Care Home or see EFT details below:
Account Name: CANSA Association of South Africa
Bank: Standard Bank
Branch code: 002526
Account number: 051 180 596
Reference: Mkhuhla CH
Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) number – Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA): 130001397
Non Profit Organisation Registration number – Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA): 000-524 NPO
Support Resources for cancer Survivors & Loved Ones
Cancer patients and loved ones are invited to join our FBK Support Group: CANSA Cancer Survivors – Champions of Hope or to join a support group by submitting the online form.
Find additional online resources for cancer Survivors (anyone who has heard the words ‘you have cancer’) or loved ones, and about coping with cancer.
Make an appointment for free CANSA Tele Counselling with a trained CANSA counsellor by submitting the online booking form.
This is a confidential, professional, cancer-related telephonic counselling service to cancer patients (adult / child / teen), caregivers and their families and parents or guardians of children living with cancer.
Counselling is available in seven languages (English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana and Sepedi) and is free of charge.
2024 – Donations Appeal:
We would appreciate the following donations – if you are spring cleaning or upgrading or downscaling, please remember us:
Maintenance / Repairs / Services / Safety
- Gas clearance certificate
- an internal door frame
- electric perimeter fencing
- paint kitchen
- paint exterior where damaged
- vehicle needs: fuel vouchers, maintenance vouchers, service vouchers
- electrical bulbs
Sustainability
Kitchen
Bathrooms
- new bath sheets
Bedrooms
- new single bed linen
Furniture
- Appliances: x 4 air conditioners, humidifiers
Grocery items
- Breakfast cereals: Jungle Oats, Weet-bix, Maltabella, Morevite, Future Life (sachets)
- Meat (red or chicken) and fish
- Fresh and frozen vegetables
- Fresh and dried fruit
- Soup tinned and frozen
- Tinned food: baked beans, butter beans, sweet corn, pilchards, tuna
- Spreads: butter, margarine, cheese, Bovril, Marmite, peanut butter
- Condiments and spices
- Cooking oil
- Dry ingredients: rice, sugar, cake flour, pasta, samp, maize meal
- Drinks: coffee, tea ordinary and rooibos, milo, long life milk, Oros
- Cremora
- Dessert: custard, jelly
Cleaning materials
- washing powder, fabric softener, bleach
- dishwashing liquid and soap, scouring pad, dish cloths, disposable gloves
- tile cleaner
- Handy Andy
- toilet cleaner, air freshener, toilet paper
- hand wash
- mops, brooms, dusters
- black refuse bags
Toiletries (patients)
- bath soap, shower gel
- toothpaste, toothbrushes
- roll on deodorant (male / female)
- wash cloths
- vaseline
Entertainment (patients)
- Puzzles, games and activity books
- Art and craft supplies (adult colouring in books and colouring pencils)
- Wool and knitting needles
- Stationery: paper (A4) printing, highlighters, pens, pencils, staples, lever arch files, file dividers, filing sleeves
Contact Person:
Contact Thobekile Khuzwayo mkhuhla@cansa.org.za regarding in-kind donations…
