Using Focus Group Feedback to Identify Patient-Centered Initiatives for Older Persons with HIV

ABSTRACT

Objectives: This study assessed how few community-based programs target older people living with HIV.

Methods: We conducted four focus groups comprised of people 50 and older with HIV (N = 32; gay/bisexual men, heterosexual men, women, and Spanish-speakers) to inform HIV program development by exploring the services in which participants were actively involved, along with the services they wanted to receive.

Results: Using inductive thematic qualitative analysis, four themes were identified pertaining to program development: (a) types of currently utilized HIV service organizations; (b) dissatisfaction with HIV programming and services; (c) participants’ preferred programming, courses, groups, or activities; and (d) desire to serve as peer mentors.

Conclusions: Results highlight the need for community-based organizations to address social engagement and isolation among older people living with HIV.

Clinical implications: These findings exemplify the need for programs to be specifically designed for OPH, and created with the primary goals of socialization and helping develop social support networks.

KEYWORDS:

• Aging
• gay/bisexual
• HIV/AIDS
• social service
• health care
• Spanish-speaking
• women

Clinical implications

• Providers for OPH should be more aware of their clients’ non-medical needs and offer more access to community-based supports and services.

• Bilingual providers and program facilitators can better reach those who may not speak English fluently, but wish to be involved in the community resources available to them.

• Programs for OPH should be created with the primary goals of socialization and helping develop social support networks.

Acknowledgments

Mark Brennan-Ing, Stephen Karpiak, Ryann Freeman, and Liz Seidel received support from M·A·C AIDS Fund to conduct and analyze the focus groups. Eugenia Siegler and Ryann Freeman received support from the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.