Older Adults Coping with HIV/AIDS

Following this critique is a discussion of the relevance of the concept of coping for older people and an investigation of variables affecting the coping abilities of older adults. The final section of the paper examines the role of the nurse in helping older adults cope with HIV/AIDS.

In order to understand the concept of coping and the ways in which it is used in the literature on older people in general and older people with HIV/AIDS in particular, it is first necessary to understand the notion of stress. Stress, according to Sue, Sue and Sue (1994), is commonly defined as an internal response to external stimuli or situations that act as stressors (elicitors of the stress response). When stress occurs, the body reacts immediately with a number of physical changes. These include changes in heart beat, muscle tone, blood pressure, temperature, an

. . .
gies of older adults with HIV, it is helpful to fully understand their situation. In this regard, Nocera (1997), reports that approximately ten percent of the HIV/AIDS cases in the United States are adults over 50; Nocera also notes that the older adult is called upon to cope with far more than the condition itself. In this regard, the older population has been consistently overlooked in the AIDS crisis; they are rarely provided with HIV/AIDS education, and medical personnel often neglect to consider HIV infection as the source of their physical symptoms. In addition, because of physiologic changes, older adults may be more vulnerable to HIV transmission. Further, health care workers often lack the training to provide adequate long term care for older AIDS patients. Nocera (1997) further reports that the psychosocial issues faced by younger AIDs patients, such as stigmatization, loss of self-esteem, difficulties with insurance, isolation, and decisions about disclosure, may be even more pronounced in older patients. Furthermore, existing community support systems for persons living with HIV are designed for younger adults. In order to help older adults with HIV/AIDS better cope with these difficulties, Nocera recommends in
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Reichman Schwebel, Duivenvoorden Kauffmann, Coping Adult, Sue Sue, Blanchard-Fields Irion, McClure Brantley, HIV/AIDS United, Papalia Olds, Chatters Taylor, AIDS Rose, coping strategies, coping mechanisms, sue sue, psychoemotional balance, social support, restore psychoemotional balance, reichman schwebel, restore psychoemotional, barocas reichman, exposure stressors, barocas reichman schwebel, reichman schwebel 1993, mechanisms strategies, sue sue 1994, sue sue sue,
Approximate Word count = 3989
Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Older Adults Coping with HIV/AIDS