Yosias is a 70-year-old man who follows the Christian Orthodox religion. He lives with his wife and has three grown-up children, who visit occasionally.
His diagnoses include leprosy (of which his wife is unaware), asthma and hypertension which caused a stroke leaving him bed-bound in a small room for the last 9 years – he has not left this room. He stopped taking his leprosy medication following his stroke.
He was identified as having palliative needs by a Community Worker. He is paraplegic and completely immobile following the stroke and nerve damage from leprosy. This nerve damage has resulted in hand deformities which means he needs to be fed by his wife. He has a sacral pressure sore and multiple ulcers on his hugely swollen legs. He also suffers from nerve pain in his legs and urinary incontinence.
The nerve-type pain improved when he was prescribed amitriptyline at night. The Hospice nurses also keep him supplied with sheaths for his urinary incontinence along with pads and dressings for his sores.
Due to minimal income, he receives food support from Hospice Ethiopia. A food support service has been created due to the high national inflation rate, causing starvation). To have survived 9 years in bed with multiple serious health conditions is a tribute to his carers, notably his wife and support from regular visits from Hospice Ethiopia.
Hospice Ethiopia UK 