Fadzilah Hamid

Rumah Solehah, Malaysia

Title: Strategies to optimize health for women infected with HIV

Abstract

Introduction

Health includes the aspect of physical, mental & emotional, social & spiritual. This holistic approach is what Rumah Solehah apply in the care of women infected with HIV.

Physical Health

On admission, physical health is usually according to the referral letter written by the hospital’s Infectious Disease Specialist. A quick health appraisal - head to toe examination is done. Urgent attention is given to skin lesions & post toxoplasmosis. Personal & environmental health is emphasised. The importance of well - balanced diet is explained thoroughly since most of them do not realize the importance of vitamins & minerals being the protective food. The ladies are sent to hospital periodically for CD4 & viral load assessment. Taking medicines that include HAART 1st or 2nd line, antibiotics to treat opportunistic infections & other prescriptions are monitored closely Activity such as gardening is ordered for those who do not exercise

Mental & Emotional Health

Most ladies come in with shattered self-esteem & take about two weeks to recover. Some think they are dying with the infections. Efforts are made to let them ventilate their grievances & emotional turmoil. Once the role of being a good listener is over, explanations about the risk assessment, clinical manifestations, mode of transmission, treatment, rehabilitation are done explicitly. Avoid having negative thoughts. Most of them do not have visions in life. This crucial moment is important to fill in the vacuum. Discussions are done to identify their interests, strengths, weaknesses to determine their future plans.

Social & Spiritual Health

Infected women sometimes come without family documents, as they have not been in contact for a long time. Networking with next of kin is crucial for strengthening their relationship to be reunited. More so only the family member can claim the body in mortuary in case of death. Emotional bonding between the infected ladies is normally not in depth. They come from various backgrounds & find difficulty in adjusting to each other. To make them abide by the societal norm is a big challenge that need high degree of tolerance The method of daily submission to the Creator has proved scientifically in improving the physical health. Practicing religious teachings not only provide tranquillity and facilitate resiliency, it also enhance the other aspects of health.

Conclusion

After 23 years of enduring with HIV infected women, Rumah Solehah feels that this holistic approach is more effective in caring for them.

Biography

Fadzilah Abdul Hamid was actually a nurse, and a very experienced one at that! Having been a nurse since 1970, she has a vast amount of experience as a public health nurse, where she tended to patients in rural areas. According to Matron Fadzilah, she specialized in women’s healthcare and got to learn more about inherent drug use in rural communities alongside the rise of HIV cases.

4th International Conference on Nursing and Women's Healthcare

Fadzilah Hamid

Title: Strategies to optimize health for women infected with HIV

Abstract

Biography

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