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Alternative therapies for the holistic care of the HIV / AIDS patient: overview


Candice Bodkin

Abstract

The holistic nursing care of individuals infected with HIV / AIDS involves promoting psychological and physiological well-being as well as fostering socio-cultural relationships and supporting the fulfilment of spiritual aspirations. HIV / AIDS is a complex disease requiring complex holistic nursing care. The allopathic management of HIV / AIDS takes a biomedical approach and includes treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). HAART is not entirely beneficial on it own. Alternative therapies can be used as an adjunct to HAART. Alternative therapies provide a means of providing holistic nursing care to HIV / AIDS infected individuals and thus ensuring overall wellbeing of the HIV / AIDS infected individual. Alternative therapies that can be used for the holistic nursing care of HIV / AIDS infection include psychological, mental and emotional therapies, therapeutic touch, nutrition, vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements, herbal medicine, Chinese medicine and homeopathy, traditional medicine, lifestyle changes and fostering spiritual well-being. This article provides an overview of alternative therapies that can be used in the holistic nursing care of the HIV / AIDS patient.



Die holistiese verpleegsorg van individue met HIV / VIGS behels die bevordering van psigologiese en fisiologiese welsyn, sowel as die bevordering van sosio-kulturele verhoudings ten einde geestelike strewes te verwesenlik. HIV / VIGS is 'n komplekse siektetoestand wat komplekse holistiese verpleegsorg vereis. Die alopatiese behandeling van HIV / VIGS impliseer die gebruik van 'n biomediese benadering sowel as die toediening van hoogs aktiewe antiretrovirale terapie (HAART). HAART in isolasie toegedien, is nie volkome voordelig nie. Alternatiewe terapieë kan saam met HAART benut word. Die gebruik van alternatiewe terapieë stel verpleegkundiges in staat om holistiese verpleegsorg vir die HIV / VIGS-pasiënt aan te bied, aangesien dit tot die algehele welsyn van die HIV/ VIGS-pasiënt bydra. Alternatiewe terapieë wat gebruik kan word in die holistiese verpleegsorg van die HIV / VIGS-pasiënt sluit in psigologiese terapie, terapeutiese aanraking, voeding, vitamiene, minerale-en voedingsaanvullings, kruiemedikasie, Chinese medikasie, homeopatie, tradisionele medisyne, lewenstylverandering en geestelike welsyn. Hierdie artikel verskaf 'n oorsig van die alternatiewe terapieë wat benut kan word in die holistiese verpleegsorg van die HIV / VIGS-pasiënt.


(Health SA Gesondheid: interdisciplinary research journal: 2003 8(3): 37-46)

Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 2071-9736
print ISSN: 1025-9848