Since a HIV infected patient was officially found first in 1985 in Korea, the government took an instrumental action for prevention of a AIDS and organized a health administration body under theordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. At prese...
Since a HIV infected patient was officially found first in 1985 in Korea, the government took an instrumental action for prevention of a AIDS and organized a health administration body under theordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. At present, health centers that have jurisdiction of infected patients' residence administer the HIV/AIDS infected patients in Korea.
As studies about HIV/AIDS treatment have been developed, the infected patients may live a social life for 10 years like non-infected people and their life expectancies are also increasing depending on individual differences. On the other hand, they must struggle against AIDS virus and face the employment and economy, attitudes of their family and neighbors, human rights and community problems while they are living. They naturally get to have a variety of desire to treat these problems.
Under these circumstances, the writer believes that existing social and health policy toward HIV/AIDS requires changes to a social and welfare service system which can improve the life quality of the infected patients, with a focus on the desire of the infected patients. Based on this awareness, a descriptive survey in relation tothe mental, emotional, economical, medical and social desire of the infected patients was conducted in order to study the interventions of social welfare service for the HIV/AIDS infected patients. Likert Scale was used forthe desire score ("Strongly Agree" 5points to "Strongly Disagree" 1) and the subjects were the HIV/AIDS infected patients residing in the jurisdiction of Seoul and Gyeonggi health center. The survey period was from February2 to March 20. Of the collected questionnaires, ANOVA and T-Test of frequency analysis, average analysis and correlation and average analysis were performed for 123 answers using the social science statistics program of SPSS/Win 10.0.
Based on the social and welfare desires of the HIV/AIDS infected patients shown on the analyzed results from the questionnaire, the writer would like to suggest a social and welfare service policy for the HIV/AIDS infected patients as follows:
First, the national policy about HIV/AIDS changes to medical welfare service centered system to provide a professional medical service for the HIV/AIDS infected patients so as to manage the diseases wellenough to preserve health and keep a social life.
As the result of this study, the very great desires of the HIV/AIDS infected patients include disease state, disease management and AIDS specialized hospital. The desires can be gained by providing high quality service of special hospitals. However, because of budget problems and NIMBY (not in my backyard), it is very difficult to establish and operate official specialized hospitals for the HIV/AIDS infected patients. Accordingly, thewriter suggests an instrumental device so that the government can designate general hospitals by areas with 3`5 health centers and internally establish and operate AIDS specialized wards and the social service offices of the hospitals can manage AIDS and provide medical welfare service to the HIV/AIDS infected patients.
Second, through the intervention of social welfare service for the HIV/AIDS infected patients, it can help the HIV/AIDS infected patients overcome the emotional, economical and social problems caused by AIDS infection and improve the quality of life.
In this study, high desires for a counselor, utilities, convenient facilities, economic support and economic rehabilitation, welfare benefit for the disabled or AIDS related legal advisory body were shown. The writer wouldlike to suggest the expansion and reinforcement of the functions of resting places operated by AIDS related private bodies in order to solve the problems of the HIV/AIDS infected patients. The government can support the resting places to implement the social welfare business and education, public relations and preventive business of AIDS for the communities.
In the end, based on the social service offices of general hospitals, it is considered that studies toidentify concerns on HIV/AIDS infected patients and the present conditions of medical service and to examine the concerns of medical professionals or social workers on HIV/AIDS infected patients and social welfare practicesare subsequently required. The writer expects that the social welfare service system for HIV/AIDS infected patients would gradually be in place in Korea and the HIV/AIDS infected patients manage their health and return to normal life without alienation and the information and preventive education about AIDS would be activated all over the country in order to protect the people from AIDS infection.