AEGiS-07IAC: Home based care for HIV infected individuals in a rural Zambian community - a four year experience of integrated AIDS management.

7th International AIDS Conference


Florence, Italy — June 16-21, 1991

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Home based care for HIV infected individuals in a rural Zambian community - a four year experience of integrated AIDS management.

Int Conf AIDS 1991 Jun 16-21; 7:21 (abstract no. W.D.5)
Siankanga Z, Chela C, Bailey B, Mwilu R; The Salvation Army Chikankata Hospital, Mazabuka, Southern Province, Zambia

OBJECTIVES: To discuss how the home care programme is meeting the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of HIV infected individuals, their families and communities. To summarise locally relevant management principles such as decentralisation, administration systems, integration with existing primary health care structures, and nearby district hospitals, and the linkage of counselling to home care.

METHODS: The home care team visits three days each week within the catchment area of 100,000 people, and sees about 80 infected individuals every month. The statistics collected validate the assumptions on which the programme was based - for example 86% prefer home care, 82% of deaths are at home, and only 5% of families experience an abnormal atmosphere due to the disease in one of their family members. The statistics collected are analysed, and patient files are reviewed along with process notes of interviews with patients, families and community members.

RESULTS: Statistics on clinical care, education, counselling and pastoral care are presented for a four year period from 1987 to 1990. Community counselling interventions arising from home care visits are described. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Home care is acceptable to the community and can be organised from a district hospital base most effectively when integrated with a multi-disciplinary management approach within the hospital. The skills involved in the home setting are similar to those in hospital and yet there are differences - but the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of HIV infected individuals are most effectively met if a support network can be sustained in the home environment. Home care can be sustained. It can play a major role in normalising AIDS and thereby reducing the stigma associated with it. Home care is the primary entry point into community from which counselling awareness can grow, and where hope for prevention and control at district level resides.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV, Rural Population, HIV Infections, Counseling, Home Care Services, HIV-1, Family, Health Services Needs and Demand, Social Support, Attitude to Health, Primary Health Care, Human, ICA7KWDaegis,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,hiv,ruralpopulation,hivinfections,counseling,homecareservices,hiv-1,family,healthservicesneedsanddemand,socialsupport,attitudetohealth,primaryhealthcare,human,ica7
910616
WD5

Copyright © 1991 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.