Jose Narciso Melchor C. Sescon , Nenita L. Ortega
Remedios AIDS Foundation, Kaagapay Support Group for PLWHAs

COMMUNITY SUPPORT NETWORK
TO CARING FOR TERMINALLY-ILL PWAs

ISSUE:

A terminally ill person regardless of his HIV status will definitely opt to be given care at home. As in the case of AIDS family support in terms of caring is of utmost importance. With family members around somehow give strength to the sick person. They may get burnt out and they may get bored and tired themselves.

DISCUSSION:

Family is the basic unit of the society. Family solidarity is very strong and family ties are very demonstrable in good and in bad times. But this is not so in the case of AIDS. Most people living with AIDS are not readily accepted by families, so even if the terminally ill person decides to have a home based care it is not also saying that families are ready to give that needed bedside care and practical help. This is where the community support network comes in and fill in the gap. At the same time the community support network trains the family members on how to give care without getting infected with HIV and avoiding getting burnt out. Community support network is compose of trained volunteers ready to give home based care to PWAs including practical help. It also offers respite care for those carers who need to have some time and break for themselves.

CONCLUSION:

Community support network works best in a setting where the family is not ready yet to entirely assume the responsibility of giving care to a PWA. Community support network also offers training to families about particular skills on caring for PWA. It also offers respite care for carers. Assistance from community support network lessens the emotional, psychological, and social burden of the family and the PWA as well and it fosters acceptance of PWAs by the community.