HADCA (Howick and District Council for the Care of the Aged) has been in the business of caring for the elderly in Howick and surrounds for nearly 50 years.
Back in 1974, Howick was a very small town with just a cluster of commercial buildings in Main Street. Tom and Elizabeth Catchpole and like-minded citizens were concerned at the lack of healthcare for elderly residents. They engaged the town council and within a short time the Council resolved to undertake the provision of housing for the aged, and the HADCA Committee was formed.
After some deliberation, Lot 640 was identified as a suitable site – an area overgrown with wattle and bramble – in the middle of the developing suburb of Greendale Park. Building commenced in April 1977. The first residents of Elizabeth Gardens were Mrs Boessman, Mr and Mrs Thomas and Mrs Bovill.
Since these small beginnings, HADCA has become synonymous with affordable, trustworthy care for older members of the KZN Midlands community. Elizabeth Gardens expanded substantially over the years, though the various fundraising efforts of the Committee and Government grants, and now includes 69 apartments. In the late 1980s the frail care centre – Greendale House was built – with top up funding coming from selling raffle tickets, which were all the rage in that era! Even then, Howick had a high percentage of retired people, and this new facility was very welcome.
The Cloisters added alternate accommodation for those who preferred a level of independence, with the comfort of knowing 24hour care was on hand.
Midmar Gardens has 38 cottages ranging from 102m² to 120m² built between 2003 and 2005. Our newest village, Hayfields Gardens, has 28 cottages and a lovely Clubhouse.
The popularity of HADCA cottages has never waned, although the residents nowadays are very different from those in the 1970’s. Carports, fast internet connection and active lifestyles need to be accommodated. The worldwide trend is to encourage elders to continue to reside in their own homes for as long as possible. While the benefits of this are obvious, there often comes a time when extra care is required to ensure life is as comfortable as possible. HADCA constantly evolves and adapts to the changes.
The name of the new HADCA and PADCA organisation will be Mowana.
This beautiful word is rooted in African languages and means ‘tree of life’. Mowana is the final product of the extensive naming process which began with suggestions from the HADCA and PADCA communities. The merger team needed to make sure the name was not used by another organisation, available for a website, that it was meaningful in different cultures, and easy to spell and pronounce. Mowana is the suggestion that ticks all the blocks. We hope you love it as much as we do.