Having put an emphasis on the Home Based Care (HBC) programme, Voluntary
Counselling and Testing (VCT) and the High Transmission Area (HTA) programme,
the Northern Cape Department of Health is in the process of rolling out its
implementation of the "Care for the Carer" programme.
This comes after the department held a Community Health Worker Summit
earlier this year in order to establish firm partnerships with these important
stakeholders in the fight against HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and Sexually
Transmitted Infections (STIs).
"As more people become ill with AIDS-related diseases and other chronic
conditions, many are not able to stay in hospitals and in many instances the
home has become a more appropriate place for care," said MEC for Health, Shiwe
Selao, who spoke at the summit in February.
However, she also said that community health workers are constantly at risk
of being exposed to physical illness such as TB.
"Then there is also the emotional and physical strain experienced by
caregivers; the uncertainty about the duration of the situation and possible
dependency of the client on you; emotions such as rejection, anger and
grieving; and exhaustive care tasks."
Providing home and community based care, as well as voluntary counselling
and testing services, is thus undoubtedly very stressful because often patients
refuse to finish treatment, there is lack of family involvement and caregivers
become too attached to their patients. They also have to deal with patients
dying.
It takes a great deal of effort to care for people with debilitating
conditions, including HIV and AIDS, on a day to day basis. Furthermore, the
strain on those caring for people with HIV and AIDS is enormous and as the
epidemic grows, it overwhelms the capacity of community health workers to cope.
And their ability to cope over a sustained period of time depends on how their
psychological needs are addressed.
Hence, the decision taken by the department to "care for the carers", whose
daily tasks entail visiting communities and households, engaging with community
members, determining what health requirements are needed and coordinating these
services to be available.
The "Caring for the Carers" support programme, of which a session was held
at Langley, just outside Kimberley over the weekend, is aimed at developing and
promoting support for people who offer home based care, as well as voluntary
counselling and testing programmes for people living with and/or affected by
HIV and AIDS and other chronic illnesses.
The debriefing sessions include the sharing of information on personal
symptoms of stress, burn out, depression, self awareness and team building. The
programme will thus help them in: caring for themselves; developing effective
coping skills; and ultimately increasing their skills in stress management.
The programme will benefit 700 home based carers, 380 VCT counsellors, 22
peer educators, as well non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from all five
districts. This is the first session of its kind in the Northern Cape and
department intends to continue with smaller groups on quarterly basis as per
local municipality through their NGOs.
For more information contact: Shelley Fielding
Cell: 083 701 7191
Issued by: Northern Cape Department of Health.
17 August 2007
