1. Patient Support and Caring for People Living With HIV (PLWHIV)
EXPLORE if any of the participants has a professional experience with PLWHIV.
If any responded affirmatively, ask him/her to share his/her experience with the floor, especially regarding the attitude, concern and style of life PLHA are leading.
Patient Support and Caring for People Living With HIV (PLWHIV)

2. Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, participants will be able to:
Define patient support
Describe the role and activities of lay counselors in regards to patient support
Explain the concept of comprehensive care

3. Why should we care for PLWHIV and how are we supposed to support them?
ASK why should we care for PLWHIV and how are we supposed to support them?

4. What is Patient Support?
Patient Support = All activities aimed at supporting the patient, beyond purely medical aspects
Three main actors involved in patient support
Patient
Caretaker or guardian
Health worker  THIS IS YOU!
EXPLAIN that a patient is anyone who is ill or unwell and desires support physically, emotionally, spiritually and psychologically
NOTE As lay counselors, they are a critical part of patient support!

5. Components of Patient Support (1)
Patient education
The infection and evolution of the disease
Transmission of the disease
Risk reduction
Treatment

6. Components of Patient Support (2)
Emotional support
Loss of self-image and good health
Psychosocial support
helping patients solve their social problems to improve their adherence to treatment
EXPLAIN that ‘Emotional Support’ refers to helping the patient deal with their feelings regarding their self-image and loss of good health. In addition
you’re helping the patient deal with
-the stress caused by the evolution of the disease, the perspective of death, uncertainty of the future and the reduction of capacities
-the relational changes with his close relationships and occupational environment
-the changes brought by the treatment, which include: counselling (individual and group) and support groups
Psychosocial support
-risks of precariousness: financial resources, incapacity, loss of employment
-risks of isolation, stigmatization by family and community, which includes social
consultations, home visits, networking etc

7. Patient Support Activities (1)
Individual sessions
individual counselling (pre-test, post- test, follow-up, adherence etc.)
Group sessions
Health talks, education talks, ART preparation sessions, etc.

8. Patient Support Activities (2)
Community and family activities
home visits, home based care, defaulter prevention and tracing and other community activities

9. Lay Counselor Activities
Linkages from diagnosis to HIV care & treatment
Adherence counselling and patient education for:
Initiation and continued adherence support for patients on ART; EAC
Patients on medication for treatment of drug-sensitive TB and multi- drug resistant
Pregnant and breastfeeding women
Adherence Counseling in addition can include:
-(MDR) TB, TB prevention (e.g. isoniazid preventive therapy) and contact tracing
-Other common medication for prophylaxis (e.g. cotrimoxazole) and treatment (eg for noncommunicable diseases)

10. Lay Counselor Activities
Prevention through facility-based health education
Paediatric & adolescent disclosure counselling
Facilitation of community-supported models of ART delivery
Support for monitoring and evaluation

11. What is Comprehensive Care?
HIV treatment involves many other components besides taking ARVs
It involves many types of information, resources and services to address a range of needs – not just medical needs.

12. Goals of Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Care
Improve the quality of life of PLWHIV
Improve the lives of families and communities affected by HIV/AIDS especially pregnant women and children
Prevent further spread of HIV
EXPLAIN that as a lay counselor, you need to know about all the aspects of comprehensive care so that you can best help PLWHIV and their families to understand and get the services they need

13. Components of Comprehensive Care
Pre- and post-test HIV counselling, HIV testing and follow-up
ART initiation
Adherence counselling and support
Palliative care, including pain management
PMTCT, antenatal, and reproductive health services
Ongoing follow-up of babies that have been exposed to HIV
EXPLAIN there are many components of comprehensive care, above are just a few. Others include:
-Early infant diagnosis for babies
-Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of opportunistic infections and other illnesses, such as malaria
-Support for exclusive breastfeeding
Ongoing monitoring of health status (through lab tests and physical exams)
Regular immunizations for babies

14. Key Messages Patient support is more than purely medical
Patient support is comprised of patient education, emotional support and psychosocial support
Lay counselors are involved in patient education and counseling tasks for HIV/TB
Practicing comprehensive care improves the lives’ of our patients