Caregiving preferences and advance care planning among older adults living with HIV

Abstract

With the increase in the US of the number of older adults living with HIV, more research is needed to understand the caregiving and advance care planning needs of this population. This descriptive study examined the relationship between social support and caregiving preferences and advance care planning. Older adults living with HIV were recruited from clinics in Los Angeles, CA and New Orleans, LA to complete cross-sectional surveys (n = 154). Logistic regression analyses were modeled to determine the characteristics associated with 1) preference for formal short-term term care, 2) preference for formal long-term care, 3) having at least one contact for emergency care, 4) having an advance directive or living will, and 5) having a healthcare proxy or agent. The mean age was 56.8 years. The majority of participants indicated a preference for informal support for both short-term (73.4%) and long-term care (66.2%), 13.2% had no one they could call for emergency care, 26.0% had an advance directive/living will, and 30.5% had a healthcare proxy/agent. In adjusted models, greater social support was associated with preference for informal short-term care and with having at least one emergency contact. Findings suggest that older adults living with HIV prefer informal sources of support for their caregiving needs despite having small social networks and individuals with limited social networks are particularly vulnerable due to lack of access to caregivers in sudden or unexpected health situations.