End-of-Life Care and Bereavement Issues in HIV/AIDS

Course overview

This review addresses end-of-life care issues characterizing HIV progression by delineating associated stages of medical and nursing care. Progression from the stage of primary medical and nursing care aimed at functional cure to the stage of palliative care is depicted first. This transition is considered in accord with the major symptoms experienced - fatigue, pain, insomnia, decreased libido/hypogonadism, decreased memory and concentration, depression, and distorted body image. From the stage of palliative care, progression is delineated onward through the stages of hospice care, death and dying, and, finally, an extension to the bereavement process (after the death of the patient her or himself).