Abstract ID: 19009

Author: Peter Posu Laho

Title: Community Home Base Care

Subject Area/Topic: Community Care and Support

Standardize Care and Support in PNG is and will be a massive undertaking considering all the difficulties and a very expensive exercise for any one organization to manage. Because of our cultural complexities including language barriers and with no safety net of government services like social security benefits for unemployed, age pension, children's welfare benefits etc.

Formal Care and Support Services are currently being provided by non government / nonprofit organization and the Faith Based organizations i.e. Catholic Church services, Anglicare Stop AIDS, Salvation Army and many more including some international organizations like Red Cross International, Oxfam International and Family Health International.

Family Health International in partnership with Friends Foundation are trialing a Home Base Care program throughout the city of Port Moresby in specifically identified sites and plans to extend the program to other parts of PNG. The program calls for care to be delivered to the homes of many positive people living in Port Moresby who are too ill to get to a clinic and or other health services.

A team of 4 carers, counselors, nurses, dedicated trained volunteer and positive people are allocated to an area throughout the city and lives relatively close to the subjects. These are but once a week visit bringing with them a fully equipped medical kit, clean linen, fresh supplies i.e. fruit & veggies’ and fresh water. Care includes cleaning the home of the patients including providing palliative care and support services to primary carers.

Many people living with HIV are living well below poverty line and such is the case, the PNG government and many of our developing partners agree that in PNG, HIV & AIDS is very much linked to poverty.

Currently many service providers are looking seriously into quality of care for PLHIV and focus is being broaden to include support services including capacity building of primary carers and the family as many PLHIV live with extended families, a normal practice in PNG.

Full detailed presentation is available upon request.