Project 461088

Advances in HIV treatment have led to a demographic shift, with individuals over 50 years of age now making up more than half of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in British Columbia (BC). There is therefore a need for services that support the health and wellbeing of those affected with respect to the documented physiological, psychosocial, and age-related co-existing conditions of aging with HIV. This demographic transformation of PLHIV has occurred alongside a change in strategic priorities and funding allocation for healthcare across Canada, altering the nature and extent of care available to PLHIV. Particularly, adverse amendments to eligibility criteria for community and continuing care programs create potential gaps in support for older PLHIV living at home or requiring residential care. This proposal represents the second step in a multi-phased program of research, in which we aim to address the realities of aging with HIV and understand how individuals and communities meet shifting health needs, particularly within the Fraser Health (FH) region. FH is home to over 1,100 older adults living with HIV, many whom have been priced out and moved away from Vancouver's HIV-positive communities and hub of care and support services in search of more affordable housing. This project is concerned with evaluating the availability and experiences of home and community care amongst this population of older adults living with HIV in FH who are physically and socially distanced from the core of community and care in BC. We propose to conduct an environmental scan to characterize service availability for aging PLHIV in FH, host a community roundtable to share research and discuss aging with HIV with PLHIV and community stakeholders, and use these findings to develop an Operating Grant to further pursue lines of inquiry. The overall aim of this project is to provide policy and programming recommendations that improve the health and quality of life of people aging with HIV.