The Experiences of Family Caregivers Concerning their Care of HIV/AIDS Orphans

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The HIV/AIDS pandemic is reducing life expectancy and raising mortality. An increasing orphan population is perhaps the most tragic and long-term legacy of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. By 2010 sub-Saharan Africa is expected to have an estimated 50 million orphans and it will be staggered by this challenge. By the middle of 2006; 1.5 million children under the age of 18 years were maternal orphans in South Africa; and 66of these children had been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS. Although government and non-government organisations have responded by building orphanages; most of Africa's orphans have been absorbed into extended family networks. Many of these extended family caregivers are ageing and often impoverished grandparents. Methods: This was a descriptive; qualitative study using the free attitude interview technique. All family caregivers who consulted at the Hoekfontein Clinic; North West Province; South Africa between March and June 2006 formed the study population. A total of nine one-on-one interviews had been conducted by the time saturation of data was reached. Results: All nine caregivers were women; mostly grandmothers (67); and the orphans were between the ages of 5 and 20 years. Emergent themes were poverty and lack of money; bureaucratic difficulties and lack of assistance from the social support services; lack of support (financial; physical and emotional) from other family members; frustrations of coping with rebellious orphans; pain of caring for the terminally ill family members; feelings of despondency (hopelessness); conflicts in the family; and the rejection of orphans by their fathers. Conclusions: The study showed that the family caregivers experienced a lack of welfare and family/emotional support in their care of HIV/AIDS orphans. It is recommended that health care workers; including social workers and home-based caregivers be trained on available social support from government and non-governmental organisations for caregivers of HIV/AIDS orphans