Highlands House is a residential care facility situated at the base of Table Mountain in Vredehoek, Cape Town, dedicated to serving Jewish older persons aged 60+. We have provided exceptional care services in various forms since 1916. We are one of the oldest organisations founded by the South African Jewish community.
Our expert-led live-in care services are world-class and set the benchmark for others to follow. Our approach centres our services around the residents’ needs and preferences, which sets us apart. We continually strive to improve our residents’ quality of life by platforming their lived experiences and incorporating it in our care planning. Our services are comparable to top-tier care offerings in the US and Canada, and our dedicated Memory Care services make us stand out from other South African care providers.
Since 2020, Highlands House has been part of the Seniors Quality Leap Initiative (SQLI), through which we benchmark our services against 13 leading North American aged care facilities using the interRAI Minimum Data set. These insights help us continually innovate and improve.
We understand adjusting to a care setting can be challenging for older persons used to independent living, as well as for their families.
Our admissions process is guided by a team of Social Workers dedicated to a complete psychosocial assessment for the level of care required, who are advised by an interdisciplinary healthcare and management team to determine eligibility and ideal placement. Enquire today.
Our dedicated unit managers work with an expert interdisciplinary team to individualise detailed care plans for each resident, identifying key needs.
Our Occupational Therapy team has input on every aspect of a resident's life, guided by insights from continued interRAI Assessments and SQLI participation.
Our campus boasts a 24-hour nurse-run health centre attending routine and emergency healthcare needs, with oversight from a team of contracted private GPs.
We mark all major Jewish Holidays with special activities and rituals like tree planting, shiurs, and Yom Tov celebrations. We also offer an exclusive on-site Shul and permanent Sukkah.
Highlands House is Kosher under the Beth Din and offers three meals a day to all residents, and two meals a day to staff, including tea-time and function catering. Our kitchen also produces all Kosher Meals on Wheels food.
Our Lifestyle Centre facilitates various daily activities, creating a warm and inviting environment where residents socialise, explore and engage.
Our on-site coffee shop and gardens overlooking Table Mountain and volunteer-run library offer even more ways to connect and be together.
Highlands House is a registered NPO and largely community-funded, and our needs are growing. Only 47% of our budget needs are met through fee income and community philanthropy. We need your support to continue funding our subsidised state pensioners, larger capital projects, building maintenance and operational costs.
In May 2023, we opened our state-of-the-art Memory Care Unit which was largely made possible by a single benefactor. The late Florrie Chiat (1915-2017) while a US resident later in her life never forgot her South African heritage and wanted to support healthy ageing for her Jewish community in Cape Town. Her bequest to Highlands House made an entire project possible that will serve our dementia residents for years to come.
Your tax-deductible gift, great or small, is meaningful and appreciated.
An extra hand is always welcome, and a warm exchange doubly so.
With our ever-evolving range of activities, classes, events and celebrations, we are sure to help you meaningfully connect.
