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Community Care

04/01/2012

  • Get to know and support HIV affected families in your community. Families are generally recognized as the best source of the loving care, protection and support that children need. Mothers, fathers or other primary caregivers infected with HIV need support from those around them to live longer.
     
  • Help HIV affected families to link up with available social services. Assist vulnerable families in understanding how to access income support, such as social grants and social welfare services. Social welfare services often help parents and other caregivers develop the skills needed to care for children affected by HIV.
     
  • If the child is HIV-positive, the caregivers need help to:

    learn about the HIV infection,
    know how to care for and support the child, including ensuring adherence to an ART regimen,
    reduce their fear of contracting HIV from the child,
    know how to protect themselves when caring for the child,
    understand and respond to the emotional needs of the child.
     
  • Be an older brother or sister to a vulnerable child.
    A child who has lost a parent or sibling because of AIDS needs psychosocial support from his or her family and someone to talk with to work through their trauma and grief. They need love and support from those around them.
     
  • Parents living with HIV should make sure that each of their children has a birth certificate.
    Parents should make a will to establish:
    1) who will be the guardians of their children, and
    2) if they have money, land or livestock how these assets will be distributed.
     
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