Many older people in Cambodia, particularly women, provide care to children living with HIV and/or affected grandchildren, but HIV and AIDS programmes that integrate or target their needs are rare.

A national survey found that an older parent was the main personal carer in 80% of cases where an adult child had died due to AIDS.

From 2003 until 2007, HelpAge International implemented a project to improve the situation of older people-headed households affected by HIV and AIDS. The project operated in 30 villages across three districts of Battambang province.

Older People’s Associations (OPAs) in 19 of the project villages provided supplementary support and assisted with many project activities.

Aims

The project aimed to increase care and support to households where an older person is the primary carer for a person living with HIV or AIDS (PLWHA) or orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), and improve their quality of life.

Activities

Main activities included:

• Training village volunteers to work in home-based care teams alongside a health centre staff member and community assistant. Teams visited PLWHA at least once a month, providing carers and PLWHA with information on available services, basic healthcare, nutrition and hygiene, and monitoring health and antiretroviral adherence (where applicable).
• Regular monitoring visits from volunteers and community assistants to older carers of orphans and vulnerable children, with advice given on basic healthcare, nutrition and hygiene, and the needs and rights of children.
• Provision of material goods such as rice, school materials and household items to families with orphans and vulnerable children.
• Financial assistance for transport and health costs for PLWHA or orphaned and vulnerable children that needed to be referred to a health centre or hospital.
• Community awareness-raising about the role of older people as carers through radio broadcasts and booklets distributed to village leaders and NGOs.
• Annual community education campaigns in each village about HIV and AIDS, health and nutrition.
• Training of older people, PLWHA and older orphaned or vulnerable children on integrated farming techniques to grow vegetables and fruit, and farm chickens and fish. Training in home garden management was also provided, along with start-up materials such as seeds and tools.

Achievements

• Older carers in the project areas are equipped with the knowledge to provide improved care to PLWHA and OVC.
  Stigma and discrimination towards PLHA and OVC has decreased.
• Older carers’ financial burden has been reduced since they received assistance with transport and health expenses. OPA social funds are used to continue this assistance.
• Home gardens have improved food security and nutrition among older people and their families (particularly PLWHA), decreased food costs and increased income through the sale of produce.
• Many OPAs are now specifically targeting families with PLWHA and orphans or vulnerable children for assistance. Money and rice is collected from community members during ceremonies and redistributed to HIV and AIDS affected families.