Health Care Needs and Services Delivery for Older Persons with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

This article brings together information on age differences in HIV health care needsand use patterns to shed light on distinctive aspects of health services needs and useby older individuals with HIV. Age differences in social and economic characteristics,medical comorbidity, psychiatric comorbidity, survival, access to medical care, andpatterns in use of inpatient services are examined. Existing literature suggests thatdelayed diagnosis, biologically based differences in progression of HIV disease, andcomorbid health conditions unrelated to HIV all may contribute to the shorter timefrom diagnosis to death among patients. Event history analyses of the hazard andduration of hospitalization among individuals with AIDS in the New Jersey Medicaidprogram indicated that those age 50 and older were hospitalized somewhat less oftenbut for longer stays, suggesting that there may be opportunities to substitute care athome for some care provided in the hospital to older people with HIV.