Taking care of people living with HIV/AIDS

This manual is concerned with the food and nutrition components of home care for persons with HIV/AIDS. Nutritional needs must be seen in context with other needs. As explained in the introduction, nutrition education should be provided alongside other components that contribute to well-being, including health care, economic and social support and, especially, positive living. This chapter summarizes some key general social support messages that are important to ensure that nutrition education is effective for both people with HIV/AIDS and their carers.

TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF - ADVICE FOR THE PERSON WITH HIV/AIDS

Nutrition education has a place alongside other advice and support directed at promoting well-being and positive living. General recommendations for taking care of yourself are given below.

• The body needs extra rest. Try to sleep for eight hours every night. Rest whenever you are tired.
• Try not to worry too much. Stress can harm the immune system. Relax more. Relax with people you love, your family, your children and your friends. Do things you enjoy, e.g. listen to music or read a newspaper or a book.
• Be kind to yourself. Try to keep a positive attitude. Feeling good is part of being healthy.
• Take light exercise. Choose a form of exercise that you enjoy.
• Find support and get good advice. Ask for advice from health workers. Many medical problems can be treated.
• Ask for help and accept help when it is offered.
• Stop smoking. It damages the lungs and many other parts of the body and makes it easier for infections to attack your body.
• Alcohol is harmful to the body, especially the liver. It increases vulnerability to infection and destroys vitamins in the body; under the influence of alcohol you may forget to practise safe sex.
• Avoid unnecessary medicines. They often have unwanted side-effects and can interfere with food and nutrition. If you do take medicines, read the instructions carefully.

CARING FOR A PERSON WITH HIV/AIDS

The carer looking after a person with HIV/AIDS may be a member of the family or, if the person lives alone, a neighbour, relative or friend. It is not easy to care for a person with HIV/AIDS and whoever grows, prepares, cooks food and serves it to a person with HIV/AIDS needs support. The task involves meeting the needs of the sick person and balancing these with the needs of other members of the family. Too much help may be overprotective and take away the dignity, independence and self-respect of the person with HIV/AIDS while too little help may not provide the support that is needed to ensure that the person eats well and has the strength to resist infection.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CARERS

• Spend time with the person living with HIV/AIDS. Discuss the foods they need to maintain and gain weight and manage their illness. Get to know what kind of foods they like and do not like. Involve them in planning their meals.
• Keep an eye on their weight. If possible, weigh them regularly and keep a record. Look out for any unexpected weight loss and take action.
• Check the medicines they are taking. Read the instructions to find out when they need to be taken, what foods to be avoided and any side-effects.
• Be encouraging and loving. If people want to have food of their choice at any time of the day, try to get it for them. They may suddenly stop liking a food, refuse what has been prepared and want something different. They are not trying to be difficult. These sudden changes in taste are a result of their illness.
• Be firm about the importance of eating and encourage them to eat frequently, but do not force them to eat. Giving them too much food at one time may cause them to refuse.
• If they are too sick to leave their beds, make sure that they have something to drink and a snack nearby.
• Keep a watchful eye. Look around to see if the house is clean, that there are no hygiene problems and there is enough food.
• If the sick person lives alone, invite them to join your family for a meal. Encourage others in the community to visit them and invite them out.

Carers will have their own concerns and worries, fears for the future, for their families and for their own health. It is important that they take care of themselves, get enough rest and have the appropriate information and support to carry out their difficult task. The important messages given below cannot be emphasized enough.

• HIV/AIDS is not spread by food or water.
• HIV/AIDS cannot be spread by sharing food, dishes or cooking utensils such as cups, plates, knives and forks with a person who is HIV positive.
• HIV/AIDS cannot be spread by touching another person, hugging, shaking hands or holding other people in a normal way. There is no need to avoid body contact with a person living with HIV/AIDS.