Wits Hospice, The Hospice Association of the Witwatersrand was started in September, 1979 by a Johannesburg couple, Stan and Sherley Henen, who first responded to a need in their community for Hospice care. Initially, care was provided by a part-time nurse from their house.
In 1983, the first property was purchased in Houghton on 1st Avenue. It became known as Greendale House and was converted into a six-bed in-patient unit. By then, a full-time staff of five provided home-based and in-patient care. In 1985, the adjacent property was purchased with assistance from JCI, a leading mining company at that time. In 1995, our first facility in Soweto was opened in the Mofolo Clinic grounds. As the need for our services grew, we opened a purpose-built unit in Diepkloof in 2006.
Today, we have more than 150 full-time staff, including doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists and spiritual counsellors. As a non-profit organisation (NPO), we have to raise our own funds. This we do through our HospiceWits Shops (11 in total), where a variety of donated goods are sold, through fundraising via generous donations from corporate and individuals, and through holding a number of events throughout the year.
Our desire is to be involved with the patient from the moment they’re diagnosed, ensuring that we’re there with them every step of the way.
Our Mission and vision
Our mission is to provide support to the residents of greater Johannesburg and Soweto and our vision is to be the leading palliative care provider in South Africa by
- excelling as an organisation
- providing quality care
- providing diverse support services
WE CARE FOR EVERYONE WITH A LIFE-LIMITING ILLNESS
- Who is eligible for care?Any person, and their family, who’s faced with life-limiting illness, is welcome. No one is turned away, regardless of their age, race, religion or financial circumstances.
- List of illnessThese illness include, but aren’t limited to, the following:
- HIV/AIDS
- Cancer
- Progressive neurological disorders
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- End-stage cardiac, renal, respiratory or hepatic disorders
- Motor neurone disease (MDR)
- Children with chronic disorders
- FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)To view all the common myths regarding palliative care and life-limiting illness, click here to download the PDF
WHAT WE DO
HospiceWits provides care to meet the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of patients and their families face life-limiting illness. This is done with the aim of achieving the best quality of life for the patient. Our desire is to be involved with the patient from the moment they’re diagnosed, offering love, comfort and emotional support to them and their family
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