| Abstract: | The majority of people with AIDS are cared for at home by their families. Home care will become even more important in coming years as more HIV-infected people develop AIDS. This paper describes the Rwanda Home Care Model developed in Rwanda by the Rwanda Red Cross with support from the Norwegian Red Cross. In this model, Red Cross volunteers go to the homes of people who are chronically ill from AIDS where they provide education and emotional support to infected individuals and their families. This program operates outside of the health care system and sends volunteers to homes regardless of whether or not individuals have sought health care. The program started September 1990 and has trained 66 volunteers, of which half remain active. In 1992 and 1993, active volunteers reported making 810 home visits to families caring for a chronically ill person and teaching 18,834 people about AIDS. The community-based approach has proved to be sustainable, capable of reaching target audiences over wide geographic areas, and reduces community fears and prejudices about AIDS. Volunteers in the Rwanda Home Care Model reach as many people as possible with minimal support and improve the quality of life of people living with AIDS and their families living with the problems. Sections describe the program design and addressing the HIV/AIDS stigma. |
