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Abstract
Mapping family caregiving variables in HIV/AIDS: A study from Mumbai, India
P D'Cruz
Assistant Professor, IIM Kozhikode, Calicut, India
Background: Continuum of care is advocated as the appropriate intervention in HIV/AIDS, making the well-being of the HIV positive person the responsibility of the family. Given the psychosocial features of HIV, it is inevitable that families face considerable problems while providing care. Yet, scant empirical attention has been focussed on this aspect.
Objectives: A qualitative study was conducted in Mumbai, India, examining family caregiving and care receiving experiences in HIV/AIDS. The present abstract details the variables influencing the caregiving process.
Methods: In-depth interviews and thematic analyses of 27 seropositive individuals and their caregivers, a group diverse in terms of age, gender, class, mode of HIV infection, and family pattern, was undertaken.
Results: Respondents’ narratives pointed out a multiplicity of factors that bear on family caregiving. The stigmatising and terminal nature of HIV forms one group. Family dynamics include composition, resources, and perceived source of infection. Caregiver and care receiver characteristics such as age, gender, marital status as well as caregiver serostatus and profession assume relevance. Number of seropositive family members, nature of extra-familial support, location of care and sociocultural context cannot be overlooked.
Conclusions: The provision of care in HIV/AIDS is a complex process whose final manifestation depends on the interaction of a mosaic of factors. Understanding and identifying these factors provides crucial insights into both caregiver and care receiver experiences. It explains the reasons behind who provided what and how much care, why and how. This delineation of variables that could either constrain or facilitate caregiving helps to map strengths and weaknesses in the caregiving process and to pinpoint the specific area in which intervention is required to improve the care provided.
The XIV International AIDS Conference
Abstract no.
MoPeE3823
Suggested Citation
" P D'Cruz ,
Mapping family caregiving variables in HIV/AIDS: A study from Mumbai, India
.
Poster Exhibition:
The XIV International AIDS Conference:
Abstract no.
MoPeE3823"
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