Charity warns over poverty and loneliness among over-50s with HIV
More than half of over-50s with HIV are living in poverty, according to a new report.
The study, from the Terrence Higgins Trust charity, said 58% of those with the condition are living in poverty – twice the number seen in the general population.
Meanwhile, 84% are worried about their future financial plans, while 82% are concerned about the future of social care.
Around 30,000 people aged 50 and over received treatment or care for HIV in the UK last year.
That is one in three of all people with HIV who accessed services, compared with one in five in 2011. New diagnoses among older people have almost doubled in the last decade.
The new report is based on responses from 307 people aged 50 and over with HIV.
It found that many felt lonely, with 82% experiencing moderate to high levels of loneliness. The Terrence Higgins Trust said this is three times the level of loneliness seen in the general population among people of the same age.
Terrence Higgins Trust chief executive Ian Green said: “Advances in HIV treatment mean that people with HIV are living longer and we are now seeing the first generation of people growing old living with HIV. This is good news – but it also means we’re entering uncharted territory.
“Many of these individuals were diagnosed when HIV was considered fatal and never expected to live beyond a couple of years – as a result, they’re less likely to have savings or pensions, and many have become socially isolated. And since then thousands more have been diagnosed with the highly stigmatised condition.
“These statistics should be a wake-up call to governments. People aged 50 and over are now the fastest growing group of people living with HIV, and new diagnoses in older people continue to rise. The issues they face can no longer be ignored, as the challenges of poverty, loneliness and social care grow more acute.”
Mr Green said the NHS and social care system is “simply not ready” for caring for older people with HIV and “we could see a timebomb in the years to come”.
A quarter of people questioned for the report said they would have no-one to help them if they needed assistance with daily living.
Annmarie Byrne, 68, who was diagnosed with HIV in 1996, said: “Supportive housing and older age facilities don’t have the training and knowledge they need about HIV. They need to know the basics, like we must take our medication at the same time every day, to support us as we grow older. If they don’t get the training it’s going to be like the ’80s again when people didn’t want to nurse us.
“I’m fortunate to have my son to look after me, but there are many out there that don’t have anyone. Many people have lost their networks of support and for many reasons have lost their families.”
This research was funded by pharmaceutical firm MSD, which makes HIV treatments, and the Big Lottery Fund.
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