Aging with HIV and AIDS:
A growing social issue
Study asks if health care system prepared to meet their complex medical and social needs
 TORONTO, June 25, 2014 - As the first people with HIV grow old, a new study from St. Michael's Hospital questions
whether the health care system and other government policies are prepared to meet their complex medical and social needs.
In high-income countries such as Canada, 30 per cent of people living with HIV are 50 or older, and many are living into
their 60s and 70s. In San Francisco, more than half the people with HIV are over 50.
"It's a positive thing that people are aging with HIV," said Dr. Sean B. Rourke, a neuropsychologist who heads the
Neurobehavioural Research Unit at St. Michael's. "This shows that Ontario is doing its job to help people living with HIV have
access to the medical systems and antiretroviral medications to keep HIV at bay. But a very significant crisis is looming."
In a study to be published in the July issue of the journal Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS , Dr. Rourke noted
that aging for people with HIV may be more challenging than for the general population because of HIV-related stigma, loss of friends
and social networks, and the detrimental health effects of the virus and medications taken to combat the virus.
Older people with HIV are more likely to experience mental health and neurocognitive impairments than other people
of the same age, as well as more social isolation. A study in the United States found that 94 per cent of people with HIV who
were over 50 have at least one other chronic illness, with an average of three conditions.
Pension plans and health care facilities are not designed for, or expecting, people to have these issues at younger ages,
Dr. Rourke said. Geriatric physicians are not trained for working with HIV, and those trained for HIV are not trained in geriatrics.
As a large number of people with HIV approach retirement age, policy makers need to develop new policies or adapt the
existing ones to improve their social and economic outlook. He said people aging with HIV who are still working may need more time
off to take care of themselves or rest breaks during their shifts; reforming retirement benefit programs could allow people with
HIV to remain in the workforce as long as possible; retirement homes and long-term facilities need to be more welcoming
places for older people living with HIV.
Individuals with HIV continue to live with health consequences that limit their ability to participate in society. This
could mean the inability to work or engage in a community. Some people have to remain jobless or in low-paying jobs so they can
receive social assistance and government-funded drugs.
Dr. Rourke said a growing body of research is exploring interventions and other coping strategies to minimize the
negative impact of aging with HIV, including being proactive and managing treatment appropriately. Eating properly, exercising
regularly and taking care of health needs earlier are much more important with a chronic illness like HIV, he said.
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About St. Michael's Hospital
St. Michael's Hospital provides compassionate care to all who enter its doors. The hospital also provides outstanding
medical education to future health care professionals in more than 23 academic disciplines. Critical care and trauma, heart
disease, neurosurgery, diabetes, cancer care, and care of the homeless are among the Hospital's recognized areas of
expertise. Through the Keenan Research Centre and the Li Ka Shing International Healthcare Education Centre,
which make up the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, research and education at St. Michael's Hospital are
recognized and make an impact around the world. Founded in 1892, the hospital is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.
For more information, or to speak to Dr. Rourke, or a patient aging with HIV/AIDS, please contact:
Kaylea Forde,
Communications and Public Affairs Department,
St. Michael's Hospital,
416-864-7178
fordek@smh.ca
Leslie Shepherd
Manager, Media Strategy
St. Michael's Hospital
416-864-6094
shepherdl@smh.ca
Inspired Care. Inspiring Science.
http://www.stmichaelshospital.com
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