Schaffer, Rachel
(2019)
Aging with HIV: Allegheny County’s assisted living facilities preparedness for HIV-positive older adults.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
HIV is no longer a death sentence, but a chronic illness that can be maintained over decades. An HIV-positive individual can live into his or her 60’s and 70’s. Currently, over 50% of people living with HIV (PLWH) are over the age of 50. As a result, there will be an imminent influx of HIV-positive individuals entering long-term care facilities that are not prepared to care for their unique needs. Aging with HIV is linked with co-morbidities such as multiple chronic conditions and concurrent viral infections, substance abuse, mental health concerns, and polypharmacology. This qualitative study reached out to 57 long-term care facilities in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to assess their level of readiness in appropriately caring for HIV-positive older adults. No respondent (n=9) felt that training their staff in caring for PLWH was extremely important, though many wished that their staff did know best practices in the HIV field. Furthermore, long-term care facilities in the county are not very familiar with local HIV training, healthcare, and referral organizations. Overall, more research needs to be conducted to conclude if long-term care facilities in Allegheny County are adequately prepared to care the imminent influx of HIV-positive residents. It is of great public health importance that long-term care facilities be prepared to care for HIV-positive older adults.
Share
| Citation/Export: |
|
| Social Networking: |
|
Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
|
| Date: |
19 June 2019 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
15 April 2019 |
| Approval Date: |
19 June 2019 |
| Submission Date: |
25 April 2019 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
52 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Behavioral and Community Health Sciences |
| Degree: |
MPH - Master of Public Health |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Nursing Homes |
| Date Deposited: |
19 Jun 2019 21:46 |
| Last Modified: |
19 Jun 2019 21:46 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/36626 |
Metrics
Monthly Views for the past 3 years
Plum Analytics
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
![[feed]](/images/feed-icon-32x32.png){kind=icon}