Document 0969
 DOCN  M94A0969
 TI    Home care for PWA's: involving the family as a better alternative to
       institutions among Spanish-speaking communities.
 DT    9412
 AU    Uribe P; Hernandez G; del Rio C; Pelayo B; Ortiz V; Panebianco S; de
       Caso LE; CONASIDA (National AIDS Council), Mexico D.F., Mexico.
 SO    Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12;10(2):239 (abstract no. PB0970). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA10/94371606
 AB    OBJECTIVE: AIDS is a chronic and progressively debilitating illness of
       epidemic proportions frequently associated with discrimination and that
       makes hospital care of those afflicted not always an appropriate option
       we have designed a strategy to make home care a valid alternative to
       hospitalization empowering the family and friends as caregivers by
       providing training and a manual as well as medical backup. METHODS:
       Since 1989 one of the services most frequently requested at the AIDS
       information Centers has been family members or friends looking for
       guidance and help in order to know how to take care at home of their
       friends or relatives living with AIDS. Additionally, 15% of all social
       aid requests have been related to homecare of the terminally ill. Based
       on the questions most often asked by the relatives we designed a
       handbook for homecare of PWA's (Guia para la Atencion Domiciliaria de
       las Personas que viven con VIH/SIDA). Items included are: AIDS and
       society; How to face AIDS in the family; Prevention of HIV transmission
       at home; Sexuality and the sex partner; Medical treatments; Dietary
       guides; What is true and what is not in AIDS; Care of the dying; Human
       rights and legal issues. RESULTS: Since September of 1993 the handbook
       was distributed and evaluated through a questionnaire. Preliminary
       results suggest that most families are more comfortable taking care of
       someone with AIDS once they use the manual. They also have a better
       understanding of when to seek medical care or when to go to a hospital.
       A decrease in the number of requests for social support at home from
       CONASIDA has occurred after the manual was available. DISCUSSION AND
       CONCLUSIONS: Among the society in Mexico the sick and dying have
       traditionally been taken care of at home where a familiar and caring
       environment can be assured. In the case of AIDS, fears and prejudice
       have caused that many patients be taken to the hospital by their
       families or friends unnecessarily or when discharged from the hospital
       they feel unable to provide adequate care. We must help PWA's to be
       taken care at home by their loved ones by helping friends and families
       to be better prepared and confident to provide such care. Materials as
       this one are a useful tool in achieving this purpose in Mexico as well
       as other spanish-speaking communities.
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*NURSING  *Caregivers  *Family  *Home
       Nursing  Human  Information Services  Mexico  MEETING ABSTRACT

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).