Deus HM; International Conference on AIDS (15th : 2004 : Bangkok, Thailand).

Int Conf AIDS. 2004 Jul 11-16; 15: abstract no. D11893.

CASA SERVO DE DEUS, GUARAPARI, Brazil

Since 1994, the non-profit institution Casa Servo de Deus assists AIDS carriers. Our Mission is to foster the well-being of people, especially those infected by HIV and their family members by promoting spiritual, physical and psychological health through assistance,education and prevention of disease-related initiatives. The Casa Servo de Deus also takes on the responsibility of being a facilitating agent, by providing information and advice on AIDS carriers' rights and obligations. The Institution furthermore offers and supports other services related to transportation, medication not covered by government-sponsored programs, besides psychological, pediatric,gynecological,ophthalmologic,cardiologic and general medical assistance guidance. The Institution counts on volunteer work targeted to minimize expenses by initiatives aimed at funds generation. At present, the Institution caters to about 150 people, including family members. Our intention is to create self-sustainability and not an exclusive dependency on the initiatives sponsored by the Institution. To that end, patients do not live in the Institution. Since its foundation, approximately 800 people have already been assisted by our services, an ever-growing number because more and more HIV positive individuals come to us every day for assistance. Family and social reintegration have resulted in extraordinary achievements. The Casa Servo de Deus also gives in-company lectures,as well as in schools and colleges always attempting to establish an open and active communication channel. The Institution's next step is to create a means for patients to identify other income-generating initiatives that favor both the Institution and the patients themselves. Institution's expenses are small when compared with similar live-in institutions but results are incomparable better in terms of reducing hospitalization and medication and improving quality of life. In six years of activity the Institution registered only one death;last year we had a 70% reduction in medication-related expenses and only one case of hospitalization.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Child
• Counseling
• Family
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Housing
• Human Rights
• Humans
• Life
• Organizations
• Quality of Life
• Social Environment
• education

Other ID:

• GWAIDS0033899

UI: 102278115

From Meeting Abstracts