Island Hospice & Healthcare

Introduction and background

Island Hospice and Healthcare (Island) uses several models to deliver palliative care services namely (i) home-based care; (ii) hospital-based care iii) Rural and community outreach iv) Roadside clinic services (v) therapeutic and comprehensive bereavement care, including for children; and (vi) capacity-building for doctors, nurses, community caregivers and others. The bereavement service offered by Island is aimed at those who are grieving after any death, whether the family has lost a patient who died in our care, or a sudden unexpected death such as a car accident, suicide, or heart attack.

Intervention and outcomes

Between July 2023 and October 2023, Island continued its mission by providing care to individuals faced with life-threatening illnesses and the bereaved. To the bereaved and traumatised clients Island provided mental wellness sessions, bereavement support, debrief sessions and organised partner loss support groups. Island conducted trainings and workshops to improve knowledge, skills and attitudes in palliative and bereavement care across its branches and other organizations. The trainings included nurse aide training, palliative care (PC) training to student nurses and caregiver module training. Island’s partnership with Ministry of Health and Childcare (MoHCC) continues to strengthen as students from Parirenyatwa central hospital were attached to Island Harare branch for 1 month. The students were trained in PC and had an opportunity to participate in different models of care such home visits, office walk-ins and roadside clinic. The students expressed their appreciation of the placement as they had a chance to apply the theory into practice.

October was breast cancer awareness month. Island conducted cancer awareness campaigns and offered breast cancer screening to 1,003 (958 females: 45 males) clients across all branches.

Between July 2023 and October 2023, Island provided care for 353 (112 Males: 241 Females) patients, a decrease from 434 supported in the previous reporting period. Patients and clients were cared for through 2,846 contacts, a marginal increase from 2,830 contacts in the previous reporting period. Virtual contacts (1,425) continued to dominate Island’s means of delivering services followed by home visits (751) and office contacts (312). Other contacts were made through hospital ward rounds (168), roadside clinics (101) and hospital visits (89).

The two stories below demonstrate typical changes to people’s lives because of Island interventions.

Story of Change 1: The life-changing gift of a wheelchair

My name is James (not real name) and I live with my wife and father. I am 58 years old. In 2008 I developed a condition called peripheral neuropathy (weakness, numbness, and pain from nerve damage, usually in the hands and feet) and it affected my legs. I worked as a security officer in Mazowe. I started feeling pain in my legs while I was at work. My first thought was that this could be witchcraft. The condition worsened over the months, that I couldn’t walk.

The thought of the fears and losses I experienced makes me want to burst into tears. I lost my job as a security officer. Consequently, I couldn’t look after my family, and we struggled for ends to meet. My wife became the breadwinner, even up to now she contributes a lot to the welfare of the family. Since we didn’t have money to buy a wheelchair or hire someone to assist me, my wife did everything for me including, taking me to the toilet, assisting me in bathing, changing of clothes and moving around the house. My movement was very limited and if I wanted to move alone, I would rely mostly on my arms for support. My father is old, and I couldn’t burden him even if he wanted to. Emotionally, I was shattered. The thought of being a man and not being able to provide for my family overwhelmed me, coupled with the denial I was in and the loss of freedom to do and go wherever I wanted. I began to have suicidal thoughts; I couldn’t handle this emotional meltdown I was having.

One day as I was at a certain clinic in Mazowe, a certain lady noticed me and empathised with my struggles. She said that she worked at Island Hospice and healthcare as a palliative care nurse. Since I no longer had a job, I was about to leave Mazowe and go to my homestead in Boora. The lady then instructed me to contact her after I arrived in Boora because they had nurses and social workers who visit the community monthly, and they could assist me. Since 2012 up to date, I have received three wheelchairs from Island. The terrain of the area I live in unfortunately increases the wear and tear of these wheelchairs. My freedom and ease of movement has improved. I can now move around the yard and even go to the nearest shopping centre if I want to. The support I received from the social workers enabled me to cope very well. I now accept that this is my condition and they managed to help me through my suicidal thoughts. On a monthly basis, I receive pain medication from island to help me when I have any pain. Nurses and social workers continually visit every month monitoring my physical and emotional wellbeing at the comfort of my home area. Island has also often supported me with clothes and food hampers.

I thank Island for their compassion, my life has turned around. I also praise my wife for the unwavering support she has been showing to me.