Terminal Care for People with AIDS

The advent of AIDS has challenged health care professionals to examine their beliefs about, and attitudes to, all people in their care. There are specific needs and issues in providing terminal care for people with AIDS and this book aims to increase awareness of the issues involved, and to give practical guidelines to enable professionals to respond to those needs with confidence. The authors identify the options available in providing care related to a client's particular needs, and discuss the special problems encountered when providing terminal care in the community. Nursing issues and common medical problems are included, outlining the main differences between cancer-related terminal care and that for people with AIDS. Consideration of the needs of the client - physical, emotional and spritual - will enable the health care professional to achieve the aims to care - providing for the needs of the whole person, treating them as an individual, enhancing the quality of their life and facilitating a dignified death.