HIV

Palliative care

Palliative care includes symptom management both during acute and chronic illness and at the end of life.

Palliative care is not only for clients who have an advanced or incurable disease, but can be used to ease the suffering of anyone with troublesome symptoms. Palliative care is important for clients who do not respond well to treatment, but also for clients who experience complications and side effects.

A major consideration behind the goal of palliative care is the belief that all people have a right to live and die with dignity. The relief of pain in all forms - physical, emotional, spiritual and social - is a right that should be afforded to people living with HIV or AIDS.

Palliative care is generally seen as a team approach, involving medical personnel, community members and family members of people living with HIV or AIDS. It can take place in a number of settings – hospitals, nursing homes or in the home of the client, with the latter often regarded as the most practical and effective method.

National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies across the world are active givers of palliative care in all three settings. They also provide specialized training for volunteers who conduct palliative care.

Publications

• HIV prevention treatment, care and support training modules, World Health Organization, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service, 2004