Overview
Life Healthcare is a leading provider of private psychiatric services in South Africa,
currently offering such services at six dedicated facilities in Gauteng, the Eastern
Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Life Healthcare intends to widen access to, and meet the
growing demand for private acute mental healthcare. Currently it operates 400 beds
and plans to open more beds in 2014/15.
Our services
The mental healthcare services offered at these dedicated facilities include general
psychiatry, treatment for substance dependence or other addictions associated with
psychiatric disorders and, in certain cases, some psychiatric sub-specialities for
high and medium acuity users. Post-discharge support is usually also offered. Treatments
offered include evidence-based drug therapy, individual psychiatric consultations
and psychotherapy, group therapy and, where needed, physical therapy. The group
sessions are supportive and educational and have been geared towards our mental
healthcare users’ needs.
Our holistic services are provided by a multidisciplinary team which, depending
on individual mental healthcare user’s (MHCU) needs, could comprise medical practitioners
such as psychiatrists; other healthcare professionals such as psychologists, occupational
therapists, physiotherapists, social workers and counsellors; as well as nursing
practitioners trained in mental health.
Two of our units, namely Life Glynnview and Life Poortview are licenced by the Department
of Health to provide mental healthcare services to those needing assisted or involuntary
admissions. There are strict criteria for admission into these highly secure wards.
These are:
- There is a presence of a mental illness.
- There is likelihood of serious harm to themselves or others.
- There is a need to protect the person’s financial interests or reputation.
- They are incapable of making an informed decision.
- They are unwilling to undergo care or treatment.
In keeping with the requirements of the Mental Health Act, the person needs to be
observed and assessed over a 24 and 72 hour period and special forms need to be
completed by an independent psychiatrist and mental health nurse. These forms are
then sent off to an independent Mental Healthcare Review Board (overseen by the
Department of Health), whose job is to ensure that the grounds of admission are
legitimate.
During the person’s admission into the facility, they are observed, assessed, treated
and managed so that their mood is adequately stabilised so that they are able to
move from an involuntary or closed off ward to a voluntary ward with the rest of
the other MHCUs. The length of stays in the involuntary units is usually very short.
Our quality
Life Healthcare is committed to providing mental healthcare users with service of
world-class quality. By 2014, Life Mental Health will have achieved separate ISO
9001:2008 accreditation for its quality management systems.
Each dedicated mental healthcare unit has its own identity, making it unique in
its individual way. Please click on the relevant units below to find out more about
their Life Mental Health facilities and to determine which unit will suit your needs
best.
Download our Mental Health brochure.
Mental healthcare services are offered at the following dedicated facilities:
Eastern Cape
Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal
Western Cape
For the latest news with regard to mental healthcare facility developments, click here.
CPD Programme
Life Mental Health is committed to providing quality, cost-effective, outcomes-driven,
acute psychiatric services for patients with acute psychiatric conditions.
As part of our commitment to continuing professional development, we offer a number
of educational activities presented by experts in the field of psychiatry.
We are dedicated to providing expert, multidisciplinary team related CPD events
for our colleagues. These events are therefore put together to benefit all health
professionals with an interest in psychiatry, in the interest of developing this
exciting field of practice.
Our News
Click on the following below to hear our latest news:
World Alzheimer's Day - 21 September 2015
Mind Matters Newsletter - Issue 1 - Autumn 2013
Life Poortview turned One