The Douglas Murray Home for the Aged (DMH) has been providing quality residential care for the frail and elderly residents at the home for more than 40 years. Located in the suburb of Retreat on the Cape Flats, the DMH employs more that 50 professionally trained staff members whose primary responsibility it is to provide for the physical, social and emotional needs of the approximately 70 residents at the home on a 24/7 basis.
DMH is an independent non-profit organization with its own board of governors. It draws most of its revenue from the board and lodging fee charged to clients and from the frail care subsidy received from the Department of Social Development. In addition the organization also raises funds through regular appeals to donor agencies and charitable trusts, and to benevolent organizations and individuals.
However, the depressed state of the economy has had a devastating effect on the fundraising climate in the country with many organizations cutting back on their social spend. In addition many of the current residents at the home come from very poor backgrounds and are unable to afford to pay the full board and lodging fee of R4800 per month. This has had a severe and negative impact of the operations budget of DMH and its ability to sustain its frail care programme.
Consequently the board of governors has embarked on developing various short term and long term strategies that will assist the organisation it in its endeavour to become more economically viable and sustainable. Key amongst these is the Adopt-a-Resident campaign which was launched on the 1st December 2015. In the long term the home intend to open up e new revenue stream by building additional residential units that will cater for clients that require more independent and assisted-living care.
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