Attitudes, Policies, and Preparations

Long term care facilities (LTCFs) are being considered for the care of PWAs. To better understand the level of preparedness for accepting residents with AIDS, a survey of policies, attitudes, and infection control procedures was sent to randomly selected LTCFs in California, New Jersey, Georgia, and Nebraska. Despite the different prevalence rates of AIDS cases across the four states, there was general agreement on most of the questionnaire items. Over half of the respondents reported having a written policy regarding AIDS (54 percent); also, more respondents expected problems with confidentiality issues (78 percent) and staff attitudes (82 percent). The mean ratings of anticipated attitudes ranged from neutral for management level staff to negative for direct care staff and residents’ families. Overall, the respondents rated their LTCFs most prepared in specific infection control procedures and least prepared in areas such as education and psychosocial support. The cost to prepare facilities was estimated at over $10,000 by 54 percent of all respondents, and 74 percent stated it would cost at least twice as much to care for a resident with AIDS as it would to care for an average resident.