The Hope House... (Organization Spotlight)

by Renisha James

So what happens when HIV has turned into full blown AIDS and you can no longer take care of yourself independently? Everyday tasks become extremely difficult and your mental state is hanging by a thread. This image is not well-known in our media or mainstream news, accept to those who are close to a family member or friend who suffers from the most advanced stages of the effects of HIV or AIDS. When a member of their community can no longer live independently or their family, friends or partner can no longer provide care, the Hope House of St. Croix Valley in Stillwater, Minnesota steps in.

Mission of Hope House:

Hope House of St. Croix Valley provides a non-judgmental home with compassionate care,
respecting the dignity of people living with HIV/AIDS.

The Hope House has been a leader in the HIV/AIDS community of Minnesota, working financially to stabilize the adult foster care model. It provides a home-like care environment conducive to holistic care. The residents of Hope House receive:

• Assistance with daily living activities - personal care, cooking, mofility, transportation
• Food, lodging, protection, household services
• Social and recreational activities
• 24-hour care-partnering services supervised by a Care Director
• Holistic care, providing for the physical, psycho-social, and spiritual needs of each individual, including medication supervision and cash management. Pastoral care and bereavement services are available upon request.

What’s great about this organization is its commitment to those residents of the community who medically have nowhere else to go. The Hope House understands that HIV/AIDS is a devastating disease with a stigma of shame. After friends and family have left and taking care of oneself is no longer an option, this organization will assist you in keeping your dignity, while providing the best care possible. For more info about the Hope House of St. Croix Valley, visit: www.hopehousesvc.org

Uniform, National HIV/AIDS Care Measures Advised...

OAKLAND, California – “HIV disease has become a complex, chronic condition. Measurement of quality of care is an essential component of successful therapy," said Michael Horberg, MD, MAS, FACP, director of HIV/AIDS for Kaiser Permanente. Horberg was one of two co-chairs who led a study created to improve the quality of HIV care and treatment nationwide. The work group’s study consisted of recommending 17 measures such as screening and prevention for infections and monitoring of antiretroviral therapy they insisted should be adopted uniformly.

Appearing in the current issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, the study shows how national HIV quality performance measures were developed, approved by national bodies, and implemented. Currently being pilot tested, the measures assess a wide range of care, including patient retention, screening and prevention for infections, immunization, and initiation and monitoring of antiretroviral therapy.

Endorsed by organizations such as the National Quality Forum, National Committee For Quality Assurance, American Medical Association, the HIV Medical Association, Infectious Disease Society of America, and Health Resources and Service Administration (Health & Human Services), many of the measures outlined in this study are already in place at Kaiser Permanente.

The largest private provider of HIV care in the United States, Kaiser Permanente has over 17,000 patients. As a result, they have been able to improve their HIV management so that the mortality rate for Kaiser Permanente HIV patients is half the national average.

Even though the measures do not reflect all aspects of HIV care, Holberg stated, "Taken together, these measures represent the most important aspects of HIV care that impact the greatest number of HIV-infected individuals in the Unites States today."

Source: PR Newswire, Kaiser Permanente

The Francis House (Organization Spotlight)

by Renisha James

Most people have heard of homeless shelters… battered women and children shelters… But have you ever heard of an HIV/AIDS shelter? I hadn’t until I ran across the Francis House located in Tampa, Florida.

The Francis House is a different type of HIV/AIDS organization in that it offers services that really aim to improve its clients’ way of life through the principles and teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. He believed in the power of compassion, individual responsibility and accountability.

“Our services are designed to teach clients effective skills for making appropriate life choices while exercising responsibility for their own actions.”

It sounds to me, like a “tough-love” approach that involves owning up to your actions and then improving them without shame. Every program offered at the Francis House is absolutely free and aims to provide the best possible service and to enlighten the lives of their clients with positive change.

Among their many programs (that includes daily classes such as Spirituality, Relapse Prevention, and Guided Meditation) was one that caught my eye (and my heart) when I was going through their website. The Francis House offers a food pantry where clients can get non-perishable food items and hygiene products with “Francis House Dollars” that are earned by participating regularly in the daily programs. The “Francis House Dollars” program has helped improve the self-esteem and self-worth of clients giving them a sense of accomplishment. I think this pulled on my heart-strings a bit because there are many cases where an HIV positive person has been disowned by family or friends and has no where to go. Its inevitable that their self-esteem or confidence would be extremely low. The Francis House gives them the option of rebuilding that confidence by earning it through responsibility.

Coming up in September, the Francis House will be celebrating its 20th year of service to the Tampa community. In my opinion, this is definitely an organization committed to really getting to the heart of those who have been infected by rebuilding them from the inside out. To get more info about The Francis House visit: www.francishouse.org

Not Making the Grade: Adolescents and HIV

According to an article entitled Teen Sex: Not Always Bad?, by Candice Lucey, about one quarter of sexually active teens contract STDs, including HIV/AIDS. The article focuses on academic differences in teenagers who engage in sexual behavior and those who are abstinent. By 19, 70% of never-married teens had lost their virginity. While the study says teenagers in a committed relationship do not necessarily suffer academically, those who have multiple relationships tend to have a drop in GPA. However, as the first sentence indicates, grades are not the only problem sexually active teenagers have to face.

In 2005, the Center for Disease Control reported that almost 90 percent of high school students had never been taught about AIDS or HIV infection in their school. Yet, according to The Guttmacher Institute, more than 14% of teenagers ages 16-19 had already slept with 4 or more individuals and 23.3% of sexually active teens had sex after taking drugs or drinking alcohol.

Reports suggests the media provides a causal attitude to sexual behavior, making it appear to be a given in any relationship. Furthermore, despite information stating otherwise, teenagers still believe that the contraceptive pill and the HPV shot will protect them from HIV and other STDs. Not only that, they do not associate oral or anal sex with STDs and wrongly view them as abstinence.

The consequences of teenagers engaging in sexual behavior coupled with ignorance about transmission, according to Lucey, "warrants discussion as to why children, essentially, turn to sex at all."

Red Pump of the Week - Carlos Santana

by Aramide Esubi

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