Unheard Voices: Experiences, Challenges, and Needs of Wives Caring for their Partners Living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa

Description

Page: 470-478

Mmaphuti Percy Dipela and Ravhuhali Neo (Department of Social Work, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa)

The family caregiver has a pivotal role in the management of HIV/AIDS patients, and their well-being is consequently crucial as it could negatively impact the quality of caregiving. This qualitative investigation was intended to explore and describe the challenges and experiences of HIV/AIDS family caregivers as well as their psycho-social needs in the Mangaung Metro area of the Free State Province. The husbands of the participants in this study were beneficiaries of home-based care services rendered by the Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) in the area. The study utilised a qualitative approach, with in-depth interviews as a data collection method. Purposive sampling was utilised to select six caregiving wives between the ages of 27 and 60. This paper revealed that they experience emotional, physical, mental, and economic difficulties because of caring for their husbands. As such, they would like to benefit from psycho-social support services that relate to their needs. There is a need for caregiving wives to be included as direct beneficiaries of psycho-social support services when coming to HIV and AIDS care.