We think of HIV/AIDS as a danger for younger people, worrying about our children as they begin dating, and advising them to protect themselves from the disease. Yet AIDS has proven to be an equal opportunity assailant, attacking men and women; rich and poor; gay and straight. So it shouldn’t surprise us that AIDS doesn’t discriminate against the elderly either.
Sept. 18 is National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day . This year’s theme, “Aging is a part of life; HIV doesn’t have to be” sends a hopeful message to the millions of Americans entering their golden years.
The numbers don’t lie. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report in 2009 focusing on AIDS among people 50 and over. It found that 17 percent of newly diagnosed cases of HIV/AIDS were for older individuals. Thirty-six percent of those living with AIDS were older, and even more concerning, 45 percent of those who died of AIDS were 50 or older.
AIDS impacts the treatment options for other common age related diseases and vice versa. The American Geriatric Society (AGS) has partnered with prominent AIDS health organizations to develop directives for medical professionals treating older patients. Their goal is to produce written guidelines for “diagnosing, treating, and referring older adults with HIV,” according to a press release from The AIDS Institute.
The AIDS Institute further seeks to “dispel myths and stereotypes” about the elderly that prevent family members from acknowledging that their older relatives may have sex or abuse drugs.
AIDS is one of several unexpected maladies plaguing the elderly, along with alcoholism, depression and drug abuse. Alcoholism is particularly insidious because physiological changes in aging bodies make them more susceptible to it. According to The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) alcohol consumption among elderly individuals increases the incidence of hip fractures and automobile accidents, and can also interfere with the effectiveness of medications. The NIAAA recommends that people 65 and over limit themselves to one drink per day. One drink is defined as a 12 ounce bottle of beer or 5 ounces of red wine.
Not surprisingly depression often goes hand in hand with alcoholism or drug abuse in elderly patients. It’s time for caregivers and loved ones to realize that our aging family members have the same emotional, social and psychological needs as anyone else.