Ssengonzi R
Research Triangle Institute, International Health, Research Triangle Park, USA.
AIDS Care. 2009 Mar;21(3):309-14. doi: 10.1080/09540120802183461.
As the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to devastate the sub-Saharan Africa region, the demand for care and support services to persons infected and affected by the disease is proliferating. Currently providing the bulk of this much-needed care and support are elderly persons. However, limited work has been done to examine how such care and support impacts the well-being of elderly caregivers. Using qualitative data from elderly respondents in two Ugandan districts, Kamuli and Luwero, this article examines changes in the household structure and living arrangements of older persons (50 years and above) after they take on caregiving responsibilities for persons suffering from AIDS-related illnesses and orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) affected by HIV/AIDS. The findings show that elderly caregivers face drastic disruptions of living arrangements, including prolonged travels and absences from their homes to care for the sick. There is also a sharp increase in their household size as they take on more OVC. The implications of such changes on the older persons' health and well-being are discussed.
随着艾滋病毒/艾滋病疫情继续肆虐撒哈拉以南非洲地区，对受该疾病感染和影响者的护理及支持服务的需求不断增加。目前，提供这些急需护理和支持的主要是老年人。然而，关于此类护理和支持如何影响老年护理人员福祉的研究却很有限。本文利用来自乌干达卡穆利和卢韦罗两个地区老年受访者的定性数据，研究了50岁及以上的老年人在承担起对艾滋病相关疾病患者以及受艾滋病毒/艾滋病影响的孤儿和弱势儿童（OVC）的护理责任后，其家庭结构和生活安排的变化。研究结果表明，老年护理人员的生活安排受到严重干扰，包括因照顾病人而长时间离家出行。随着他们照顾更多的孤儿和弱势儿童，其家庭规模也急剧增加。文中还讨论了这些变化对老年人健康和福祉的影响。
