Understanding of the risk of HIV infection among the elderly in Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa

The literature pertaining to the elderly shows that HIV infection among this population is on the increase, suggesting that the elderly population engages in activities risky for HIV infection. Reports on such behaviour  include frequent sexual relations with much younger people and having multiple partners. A study was carried out in Ga-Rankuwa, a black township in Gauteng Province, South Africa to explore and describe the understanding of these elderly people regarding their risks of HIV infection and AIDS. Using a qualitative, exploratory design, three focus-group interviews were conducted with 32 women aged over 50 years. Findings revealed that older persons have knowledge about transmission of HIV infection and AIDS. However, a few had misconceptions as to how HIV infection is transmitted, as they believed that poor nutrition and sharing facilities play a role. Knowledge of mechanisms of protecting themselves against infection, such as use of a condom during coitus and wearing gloves when caring for infected family members, was also evident. The elderly indicated that they would prefer an older person, who they could identify with, to educate them more about HIV infection and AIDS. Although majority of participants had knowledge of how HIV is transmitted, and issues that put them at risk of transmission, a few the older persons had misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted due to lack of knowledge, as they believed that poor nutrition and sharing facilities can transmit infection. The lack of knowledge underscores the importance of addressing sexual risk with older people. It was very clear that more needs to be done in terms of education campaigns to dispel the myths of HIV infection and to empower the elderly.Keywords: HIV infection, AIDS, risk, elderly, fears, HIV testingLa litte´rature relative aux personne aˆge´es indique que l’infection a` VIH est a` la hausse parmi cette population, c’est qui sugge`re que la population aˆge´e s’engage dans des activite´s a risque vis-a`-vis de l’infection a` VIH. Les publications ont mentionne´es de genre de comportements incluant de fre´quente relation sexuelles avec de jeunes gens et aussi ayant de multiple sexuel partenaires. Une e´tude avais e´te´ conduite en Garankuwa, un bas-lieu noir dans la province de Gauteng, en Afrique du Sud pour explorer et de´crire la connaissance de ces personnes aˆge´es concernant les risques qu’ils courent a l’e´gards de l’infection a` VIH et du SIDA. En utilisant la perceptive qualitative de l’approche exploratoire, trois groupes d’entrevues ont e´te´ mene´es avec 32 femmes aˆge´es de plus de 50 ans. Les re´sultants ont re´ve´le´ que les personnes aˆge´es ont suffisamment la connaissance sur la mode de transmission de l’infection a` VIH et le SIDA. Cependant, quelques-uns parmi eux avaient de fausse compre´hension sur la fac¸on dont l’infection a` VIH est transmise, car ils croient que la pauvre qualite´ alimentaire et le partage des installations sanitaires jouent un roˆle. La connaissance de me´canismes pour se prote´ger contre l’infection, par exemple l’utilisation de condom pre´servatif lors du coı¨t et de porter des gants pendant qu’ ils dispensent des soins aux membres de leur familles infecte´s e´tait e´galement e´vidente. Les personnes aˆge´es ont indique´ qu’ils pre´fe´reraient une personne aˆge´e et mature, a` qui ils pourraient s’identifier, de leur e´duquer davantage sur l’infection a` VIH et le sida. Par conse´quent, it e´tait clair que le besoin en termes d’e´ducation de masse sur les mythes a` propos de l’infection a` VIH et le SIDA devrait eˆtre envisage´ pour ce groupe a` risque.Mots cle´s: infection par le VIH, le SIDA, le risque, les personnes aˆge´es, la peur, le de´pistage du VI

Conducting research with African elderly persons: Is their vulnerability a concern to researchers?

The African elderly population is currently estimated to be slightly over 38 million. In order to provide best practice and quality management strategies, health care professionals need to conduct research that can assist in ameliorating age specific conditions and improve the quality of life of elderly persons. However, risks abound when studying elderly persons. They may suffer from deteriorating physical and or psychological conditions associated with the ageing process raising concerns of vulnerability with their participation in any research contentious. The increase in social research conducted as a result of HIV/AIDS raises further concerns about the ethics of conducting research on elderly African persons with regards to issues of autonomy and informed consent. This paper examines the ethics and the notion of vulnerability of African elderly persons within the context of research. A literature review on the vulnerability of elderly persons and considerations for research provided the analysed data for this paper. Access to the database were mainly via EBSCO (www.ebsco.com) containing electronic databases useful in an academic setting for finding and accessing articles in health and health related academic journals, repositories and archived reports. Findings show African elderly persons are a vulnerable population and specific strategies and the implications for ethics are provided for use when conducting research on the elderly population.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Behavioral and cognitive interventions to improve treatment adherence and access to HIV care among older adults in sub-Saharan Africa: an updated systematic review

BACKGROUND: Approximately 14% of Africans infected with HIV are over the age of 50, yet few intervention studies focus on improving access to care, retention in care, and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in this population. A review of the published literature until 2012, found no relevant ART management and care interventions for older people living with HIV (OPLHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this systematic review is to update the original systematic review of intervention studies on OPLHIV, with a focus on evidence from sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of the available published literature from 2012 to 2017 to explore behavioral and cognitive interventions addressing access to ART, retention in HIV care and adherence to ART in sub-Saharan Africa that include older adults (50+). We searched three databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Education Resources Information Center) using relevant Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms as well as a manual search of the reference lists. No language restrictions were placed. We identified eight articles which were analyzed using content analysis with additional information obtained directly from the corresponding authors. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: There were no studies that exclusively focused on OPLHIV. Three studies referred only to participants being over 18 years and did not specify age categories. Therefore, it is unclear whether these studies actively considered people living with HIV over the age of 50. Although the studies sampled older adults, they lacked sufficient data to draw conclusions about the relevance of the outcomes of this group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the need to increase the evidence-base of which interventions will work for older Africans on ART

Expectations of youth victims of violence regarding healthcare professionals leading them to wellness in South Africa

BACKGROUND: Many youth victims of violence report for treatment at the health care facilities in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It was unclear what the youth expected regarding how they could be led towards wellness by health care professionals following an incident of violence (R1.1). OBJECTIVES: This study sought to explore and describe the expectations of the youth victims of violence with regards to health care professionals (R1.2) leading them to wellness in a selected rural community. METHOD: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was used. Nine focus group discussions were conducted with 58 (23 males, 35 females) purposefully selected youth victims of violence between the ages of 15 and 19. Data analysis was done through open coding. Ethics clearance was received from the University Ethics Committee prior to the study being conducted. RESULTS: Findings indicated that the youth victims of violence expect the health care professionals (professional nurses, doctors and social workers) working in their community to act as role models, demonstrate a professional attitude, provide health education, provide confidential counselling services, and establish school and community outreach programmes. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that youth victims of violence have important expectations from health care professionals concerning their wellness. Hence, health care professionals should focus on designing and implementing interventions targeting these expectations.Department of HE and Training approved lis

A literature review of the impact of HIV and AIDS on the role of the elderly in the sub-Saharan African community

The status of older adults in Africa occupies a small but rapidly expanding share of the global literature on ageing. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic has generated a new focus on the changing role of the elderly in communities that have been affected. In sub-Saharan Africa, where millions are projected to be infected with HIV and about two million deaths are recorded annually amongst the traditionally productive adults, such loss of parents and breadwinners means children and the elderly have had to take up unusual responsibilities. A literature review on the elderly and HIV and AIDS provided the data analysed for this article. Access to databases was mainly via EBSCO (www.ebsco.co), which allowed searches in major databases and search engines useful in an academic setting for finding and accessing articles in health and health-related academic journals, repositories and archived reports. Results showed that the AIDS pandemic has direct and indirect effects which have manifested in a set of interrelated social, economic and psychological dimensions that could ultimately impact on the health and well-being of the elderly. It is concluded that more needs to be done to articulate the knowledge base of the impact of HIV and AIDS in order to inform social, economic and political policies for the purpose of alleviating the problems that the pandemic is wreaking on the elderly African population. Opsomming Die status van ouer volwassenes in Afrika beklee’n klein, maar vinnig groeiende deel van die globale verouderings literatuur. Die menslike immuniteitsgebreksvirus (MIV) en verworwe immuniteitsgebreksindroom (VIGS) pandemie het ‘n nuwe fokus op die veranderende rol van bejaardes in die gemeenskap wat deur VIGS beïnvloed word, gegenereer. In sub-Sahara Afrika waar na beraming miljoene geïnfekteer word met MIV, met sowat twee miljoen sterftes jaarliks gerekordeer onder die tradisoneel produktiewe volwassenes, word daar van die kinders en bejaardes verwag om ongewone verantwoordelikhede op hulle te neem as gevolg van die verlies aan ouers of broodwinners. ‘n Literatuuroorsig wat handel oor bejaardes en MIV en VIGS het die geanaliseerde data voorsien vir hierdie artikel. Toegang tot die databasis was meestal deur EBSCO (www.ebsco.co) wat soektog toegelaat het tot groot databasisse en soekenjins wat bruikbaar in die akademiese opset is en die vind van artikels aangaande gesondheid, gesondheidverwante akademiese joernale en argief verslae. Bevindings toon dat die VIGS pandemie direkte en indirekte effekte het. Hierdie effekte manifisteer in ‘n stel sosiaal verwante, ekonomiese en psigologiese dimensies wat ten einde ‘n impak op die gesondheid en welstand van bejaardes het. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat meer gedoen moet word om die kennis basis van MIV en VIGS te artikuleer om die sosiale, ekonomiese en politiese beleid in kennis te stel, om sodoende die resulterende probleme van MIV en VIGS op die bejaarde Afrika populasie te verlig

Facilitation as a teaching strategy : experiences of facilitators

Changes in nursing education involve the move from traditional teaching approaches that are teacher-centred to facilitation, a student centred approach. The studentcentred approach is based on a philosophy of teaching and learning that puts the learner on centre-stage. The aim of this study was to identify the challenges of facilitators of learning using facilitation as a teaching method and recommend strategies for their (facilitators) development and support. A qualitative, explorative and contextual design was used. Four (4) universities in South Africa which utilize facilitation as a teaching/ learning process were identified and the facilitators were selected to be the sample of the study. The main question posed during in-depth group interviews was: How do you experience facilitation as a teaching/learning method?. Facilitators indicated different experiences and emotions when they first had to facilitate learning. All of them indicated that it was difficult to facilitate at the beginning as they were trained to lecture and that no format for facilitation was available. They experienced frustrations and anxieties as a result. The lack of knowledge of facilitation instilled fear in them. However they indicated that facilitation had many benefits for them and for the students. Amongst the ones mentioned were personal and professional growth. Challenges mentioned were the fear that they waste time and that they do not cover the content. It is therefore important that facilitation be included in the training of nurse educators

Expectations of postgraduate nursing students: an inquiry

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=c8h&AN=2010290137&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-livehttp://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=2&hid=105&sid=ed7f2a04-4de6-45b3-802f-3c058e2c9d9f%40sessionmgr10