Original Article

Treatment of HIV/AIDS in the Nursing Home: Variations in Rural and Urban Long-term Care Settings

Authors: William S. Pearson, MHA, William J. Hueston, MD

Abstract

Objectives: With the increased use of antiretroviral therapy, more patients with human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) are surviving for long periods of time. The aim of this study was to determine the availability of specialty HIV/AIDS services in long-term care facilities, and to determine differences in the availability of these services between rural and urban nursing homes.


Methods: 1,423 nursing homes from the 1999 National Nursing Home Survey were stratified by rural/urban status and compared using χ2 analysis and logistic regression.


Results: Less than 1% of surveyed nursing homes in the United States provided specialty HIV/AIDS services. While there was evidence that larger nursing homes are more likely to provide HIV/AIDS-related services, there were no significant differences between rural and urban nursing homes in the provision of specialty HIV/AIDS services.


Conclusions: A vast majority of nursing homes in the United States do not provide any specialty areas for HIV/AIDS care. As our population ages and the life span of those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS continues to increase, nursing homes will begin to see patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS among those seeking care.

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