Development of Home and Community Care for AIDS Patients in the Socio-cultural Context of the Central Region, Thailand

Abstract

This study reviews experiences of home and community-based care for AIDS patients and presents strategic suggestions to support home and community care (HCC) in the socio-cultural context of the central region of Thailand. It reviews a variety of documents and lessons learned on HCC for AIDS in this region.
The results of the study reported the same problems that many AIDS patients are confronting with community’s negative attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV). The key finding of the study is that most AIDS patients are cared for at home. Buddhist temples, Christian charity homes and NGO temporary shelters are alternatives for those whose families are poor or who have been abandoned by their families. For PLHIV, self-help groups organized by public hospitals or NGO staff are helpful and needed . Home visits performed by these staff are also appreciated. Strategies suggested for HCC development are: 1) Restoring the traditional Thai caring culture. 2) Empowering community organizations to support PLHIV to get access to better care. 3) Strengthening the collaboration among HCC stakeholders to improve the efficiency of the whole health care system. 4) Establishing active participatory communication networks among stakeholders through a variety of innovative and interactive communication channels and media. All stakeholders should be enabled to speak out and share health information and support according to the health needs of the PLHIV and other community members.