Pretoria - Residents of the Katlehong Old Age Home will be moved to alternative old age homes due to the facility's poor financial management.
The Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development said the management of the home that housed 28 senior citizens was unable to attract donor funding to augment the departmental annual subsidy of R400 000.
"The decision to remove them was informed by a desire to act in the best interest of the older persons as their health was compromised and threatened by the shortage of food and unhealthy living conditions, as a result of a lack of basic necessities such as cleaning detergents," the department said.
The decision to remove the residents was preceded by several interventions such as consultative meetings between departmental officials and the board.
The department said both service recipients and their families have been interviewed by the department and gained their support to move the older persons to various old age homes in Ekurhuleni.
The department has also offered to pay the salaries of 30 full-time and seven part-time employees of the home for November and December this year, including additional salaries in January 2010 despite the fact that this is the responsibility of the board, the department said.
