Affiliation:
1. Head of School, School of Health Studies, Gibraltar
Abstract
The number of older people (those over 50 years) living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the UK has been rising and is set to rise further. With the introduction of antiretroviral therapy, HIV infection has become a controllable chronic disease with many HIV positive patients living longer. This article provides the reader with an update, including epidemiology and HIV in the older adult. The epidemiology is discussed, along with an overview of HIV in the UK. Specific issues that the older adult may face that are associated with HIV are summarised. The role of the healthcare assistant and assistant practitioner (HCA and AP) in providing care and support is outlined.