OLDER PEOPLE AND HIV/AIDS

[Guest guest]

OLDER PEOPLE AND HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is not only upsetting the balance of global demography, but

is placing severe physical, economic and social demands on those

least able to respond to the challenge – the Older People. Older

people are increasingly becoming responsible for the care of their

adult children with AIDS and support in bringing up their

grandchildren. The potential impact of this socio-economic role

reversal is quite dramatic. In the developing countries, there are

few state social and economic safety nets for older people and

traditionally their adult children provided for the older parents.

Because of HIV/AIDS, the roles have changed and the older people are

now required to care and support their children and grandchildren.

They are carrying out this added responsibility with deteriorating

health, low income, limited information and little external

assistance. In short, older people are supporting younger people,

without receiving support themselves.

Findings from a research carried out in northern Thailand indicates

that the severity of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on older people is

unparalleled, particularly when they had to take up new roles as care

givers to their adult children with AIDS and simultaneously taking on

the responsibility in raising their grandchildren. Most encountered a

wide spectrum of problems including physical exhaustion, over-

burdened workload, financial hardships, emotional upheaval, lack of

knowledge and resources dealing with adult children with AIDS,

increasing conflicts with grandchildren, social stigmatisation,

discrimination and rejection, and exclusion from accessing

appropriate knowledge and support services dealing with HIV/AIDS. The

research also established that older people are equally at risk of

HIV infection and many people over the age of 60 have died of AIDS in

northern Thailand.

The implications and emerging results of focussing exclusively on the

young and middle generations with HIV/AIDS are becoming clear. By

failing to support older people who are shouldering so much of the

burden of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, their health and welfare is being

put at risk.

It is time to urgently review current HIV/AIDS policies and

programmes to identify how the needs of older people can be included.

The emphasis must be on developing and supporting mainstream

programmes that does not discriminate by age but is all inclusive.

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Godfred , Training Adviser, ATCOA

Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University

Chiang Mai Thailand

Tel : (66 53) 894805, 225081, 225440 & 895021

FAX : (66 53) 225441 & 894214

EMAIL : goddy@...

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