A Home Visit I'll Never Forget
by CEO of Hopsices of Hope, Anna Perolls
“During my recent visit to Albania, I had the privilege of accompanying the Ryder Albania team on a home visit, an experience that has stayed with me ever since.
We visited Mimoza, a 62-year-old widow with advanced stomach cancer. She lives with her two daughters, aged 23 and 26, who have become her full-time carers. When we arrived, the situation was heartbreaking. Mimoza looked extremely unwell and deeply depressed. She was almost motionless and visibly in significant pain. The doctor explained that this was a very complicated case and that she had reached a point where she no longer wanted to be alive.
The medical team immediately began their assessments and checks. Mimoza had not eaten or drunk anything for four days. The doctor and nurse administered morphine to help manage her pain and carefully showed her 23-year-old daughter how to give additional doses safely between hospice visits. They also inserted a cannula to provide fluids.
What struck me was the ingenuity of the team in working with the resources available. With no suitable stand, the fluids were suspended from a coat hanger using a rubber glove. It was a stark reminder of the limited resources they work with every day, but also of the determination of the Ryder team to provide expert care, whatever the circumstances.
As we sat with the family, the daughter shared their story. Six years ago, their father died from bone cancer. Their experience of the state healthcare system at that time was devastating. They described being told that because he was going to die within a few days, there was little point in doing anything further for him. Feeling abandoned and unsupported, they watched him die without the care and dignity every person deserves.
When their mother was diagnosed a year ago, they initially received incorrect advice and treatment. Desperate to find help, the family sought treatment abroad in both Italy and Turkey. Eventually, when there were no further treatment options available, they returned to Albania.
Not wanting to relive the experience they had endured with their father, they were relieved when they found Ryder Albania. The daughter spoke with immense gratitude about the support they had received since May, describing the care simply as, “Perfect.”
For a family who had previously felt alone and unsupported, having a team of professionals who visit regularly, manage symptoms, provide emotional support and treat both the patient and family with dignity has made an enormous difference.
What impressed me most was the strength of the daughter. Despite the overwhelming circumstances they face, she showed remarkable resilience and love for her mother. She spoke about how she found faith before her father’s death and how that faith had carried her through the grief of losing him and continues to sustain her now. It was humbling to hear her speak with such hope and conviction whilst caring for a mother she knows she may soon lose.
After the visit, I asked the medical team how long they felt Mimoza had left. Their view was that it would likely be around a week. As I reflected on that conversation, I couldn’t stop thinking about these two young women. Having already lost their father, they are now preparing to lose their mother, facing life without either parent while still in their twenties. It is difficult to imagine the pain and uncertainty they must be facing.
As we came to the end of the visit, I was struck by the change we had witnessed in such a short space of time. When we arrived, Mimoza was motionless, visibly distressed and in significant pain. Yet after receiving treatment and support from the Ryder team, there was a remarkable transformation. Her pain had eased, she was more alert and engaged with those around her. She blew kisses to us as we prepared to leave and asked her daughter to give us some oranges as a gesture of thanks. As we said our goodbyes, she managed to raise her hand and wave. It was a simple but powerful moment.
It reminded me that whilst hospice care may not be able to change the outcome of a patient’s illness, it can completely transform their experience, and the experience of those who love them. In the space of one visit, the team had brought comfort, dignity and relief to a woman who only hours earlier had been suffering greatly. They had also given her daughters the reassurance that they were not facing this journey alone.
Sadly, Mimoza passed away on 23rd June, but I couldn’t help but think how different her story might have been without Ryder Albania. Hospice care cannot always change the outcome of an illness, but it can transform the final chapter of someone’s life. It can bring comfort where there is pain, dignity where there is fear, and hope where families feel alone.
That is exactly what I witnessed during this visit, and why the work of Ryder Albania matters so much.”
Anna Perolls
CEO, Hospices of Hope
