Thursday 8 September 2011

News on HIV

For my and other people's information....I have copied and pasted an email.



NAT would like to highlight a new report, Fluctuating Symptoms of HIV, which I hope you will find useful in your role as Director of Adult Social Care.

The findings illustrate the dramatic impact of fluctuating symptoms and side-effects including fatigue, depression and anxiety, gastro-intestinal problems and insomnia have on people living with HIV.  Fluctuation has not been a focus of HIV research to date and NAT is concerned that the impact it has on quality of life is often overlooked - including in social care needs assessments.
 
We are particularly concerned that the complex and variable nature of these health problems means they do not easily align with the approach to long-term conditions used within assessments.  I would like to highlight the following recommendation from the report:

At present, high eligibility thresholds prevent many people with HIV from accessing social care, even when they have clear health-related support needs.  Assessment criteria should consider the impact of fluctuation and the cumulative impact of multiple, lower-level symptoms on people living with HIV.

Social care is vital for helping people with HIV who experience such symptoms stay well, avoiding the need for greater support in future.  NAT urges local authorities to take greater consideration of these health impacts when assessing people with HIV for social care.  For more information on the importance of HIV social care, you can download our recent report on the impact of social care support for people living with HIV.

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