Home Care

The Home Based Care project aims to enable HIV-affected families and the wider community to take care of one another. It is against the backdrop of socio-economic problems often exacerbated by HIV infection that Siam-Care steps in with its care team of nurses, social workers and counsellors. Each family is visited at least once a month, but it may be up to twice a week according to their needs. Thus, by building long-term relationships, they can provide for many of the people’s needs:
• Practical Needs:
Siam-Care will provide clothing, household items, milk powder for babies and food to those who cannot afford these basic necessities.
• Emotional Needs:
These are provided for by building friendships and through counselling. There are also various groups which are organised to provide an opportunity for all of those with whom Siam-Care are involved to meet each other, and providing peer support. The workers also address with parents who are HIV-infected what the future will hold for their children and how they will be cared for.
• Social Needs:
Job training and advice is offered, and also extensive work is done with the families and neighbours of those who are ill in order that they might accept and support each other. This can be especially difficult in the Bangkok area as there does not exist the same community structures as in the northeast.
• Medical Needs:
Siam-Care provides vitamins, nutritional advice and help with hospital expenses. Nursing care is also provided in the homes of those who are sick; primarily however, relatives and the wider community are trained to provide that care whilst equipping them practically with items such as bedpans and anti-bedsore mattresses. Siam-Care also run various clinics to provide more specialised support. These include a Tuberculosis follow-up clinic, woman’s hygiene clinic and a PCP-prevention clinic (one of the main causes of death amongst those who are HIV-infected).
• Spiritual Needs:
The Christian staff will pray and share Bible scripture with families who request this. Many have found new peace and hope in desperate situations. Bible studies are also run in the shelter.