Abstract
This study reviews a variety of documents and lessons on home/community care (HCC) for AIDS in the central region of Thailand, including research , thesis , NGO’s annual reports, discussions with NGOs delegates, and case studies from fieldwork observation as well as home visits. Compared to the northern region of the country, studies on HCC for AIDS in the central region are rather few. Despite of this limitation, a number of studies figures out the same problem that many HIV/AIDS patients are confronting with : community’s rejection and negative attitude towards people living with AIDS (PWA) . Besides, many patients and family care-providers still do not have adequate knowledge and skills in self care or caring the patients at home. However, rarely few studies have deeply gone into details about the needs of these PWA, such as up-date health information about treatments and practical caring techniques for daily fife in the household setting. The present study concludes that in the central region, most HIV/AIDS patients are normally cared for at home by their family numbers. Hospitalization is only for those in critical or terminal stage. Buddhist temples, Christian’s charity homes and NGO’s emergency or temporary shelters are alternatives for most poor or abandoned ones. For PWA, self-help groups organized by public hospitals’ or NGOs’ staff are crucially needed and helpful. Home visits performed by these staff are also appreciated. These are the only two successful models of community care in the socio – cultural context of the central region. Some regional strategies are suggested for HHC development: 1). The restoration of the humane traditional Thai cultural-traits together with the acculturation of caring culture and practice in the family and community in order to promote and support HCC by “to stop AIDS by caring people with AIDS”. 2). The empowerment of community organizations, self-help groups, voluntary groups to support PWA to get access to better health care services as will as social welfare from both public and private sectors 3). Reformation and development of AIDS counselling service, inter-personal health education and public health education through the mass media, both in the content and technical aspects in order to transfer modest health information on AIDS and to bridge up good relations between PWA and their families/ communities. 4). The prejudice wall against PWA should be dissolved through the new nation-wide campaign, ”Living with AIDS is the way to save our families/communities and society” in order to support PWA to live with dignity as human-beings. And 5). The strengthening of collaboration among all HCC stakeholders (PWA, family ,community, NGOs and Gos) in order to improve the efficiency of the whole health care system.
