Patient With AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome): Care and Concerns (From AIDS: Principles, Practices, and Politics, P 151-166, 1988, Enge B Corless and Mary Pittman-Lindemann, eds. -- See NCJ-110857)

• NCJ Number: 110863
• Author(s): P Murphy; G Bass; C Donovan; B Selman
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 16 pages
• Sale Source: Hemisphere Publishing Corp
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The experiences of the Supportive Care Program of St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center in New York City show that hospice, palliative care, and supportive care programs are viable options and invaluable resources for patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and their families, particularly as alternatives to hospitalization and routine home care.

Abstract

The Supportive Care Program is a hospice-related program. It uses a team consisting of physicians, nurses, social workers, pastoral counselors, and trained community volunteers. All team members are invited to explore the pastoral dimension, which is the aspect within each human being which recognizes the intrinsic value of each other's being and understands the real connection existing among all people. Team members recognize that the physical care that they provide is only part of the care, because the emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual aspects are all intertwined. The case stories of several patients in the Supportive Care Program illustrate the varieties of courses of the disease and the ways in which medical treatment and other aspects of supportive care are of benefit to AIDS patients. 12 references.