Mortality has decreased from 2022 to 2023 and it is likely that the funding from the formal health aide training program in addition to building new isolation rooms has contributed to this encouraging achievement.
Albergue Las Memorias is a place of refuge for persons living with HIV (PLWH), often in advanced stages of AIDS and tuberculosis (TB). Many arrive to the shelter with severe illness and are unable to attend to their own activities of daily living, requiring assistance with basic necessities such as nutrition, medications, and bathing. Clients frequently are on multiple medications including injections and may have complex dosing instructions. Severe, chronic diarrhea and incontinence is common, especially and can lead to skin irritation and decubitus ulcers (bedsores) without attentive, skillful care.
Typically, patients requiring such a high level of care would be admitted to a skilled nursing facility or at least have home health aide care. At Las Memorias, such patient care is frequently provided by fellow residents of the shelter who volunteer to assist in this critical role. These informal health aides are often also PLWH and often have been treated for TB. As such, they have a level of insight, compassion and empathy that is invaluable and are also able to provide peer support. Unfortunately, there has been a high degree of burnout and turnover in this role given the lack of formal training in basic caregiving, in addition to emotional and self-care practices required for persons who provide care in an environment with such a high level of mortality and morbidity.
In order to address these challenges, Specialists in Global Health (SiGH) funded a formal health aide training program for an inaugural class of Las Memorias resident volunteers through the Technical Nursing School Brenda Galaviz. In July 2023, the first SiGH supported students completed the program. Five of the students showed sufficient proficiency to register for a national certification test for health aides and all students who took the test had passing scores. Most of the students had never completed high school, yet successfully graduated from the program which was a major accomplishment that became a source of pride and confidence. Some students are now motivated to pursue additional health care training and hope to pursue careers in the health field, building upon the training made possible by the SiGH grant.
The training received by the health aides had led to a significant improvement in the quality of care that is provided at the shelter. In fact, preliminary data shows that mortality has decreased from 2022 to 2023, likely from SiGH's funding for a formal health aide training program, which resulted in improved nursing care, has contributed to this encouraging achievement. In addition, new isolation rooms and screen door installations have also had a major impact on increasing health and safety for those in hospice. The comprehensive curriculum includes medication administration, nutrition, rehabilitation, hygiene, bloodborne pathogens, end of life care, and avoiding burnout/selfcare. The training includes both intensive formal classroom lectures, as well as a hands-on practicum at Las Memorias. The SIGH grant supported training costs, funds for tuition, as well as a stipend to enable participation in classroom education and practicum training over 12 months
The Grant also allowed for funding of new isolation rooms and screen door installations, increasing health and safety for the hospice!
