Q&A
Supporting older adults with HIV/AIDS in HASA programs
0:25:40
ยท
4 min
This chapter discusses how HASA supports the specific needs of older adults living with HIV/AIDS. John Rojas explains that HASA ensures clients access comprehensive medical care, addressing both HIV and other health needs. The program collaborates with the Department of Health to monitor client engagement in care and viral suppression. It's noted that about 50% of HASA clients are over 50 years old, with many having been in the program for over 20 years.
- HASA ensures clients access comprehensive medical care for HIV and other health needs
- Collaboration with the Department of Health to monitor client care engagement and viral suppression
- Approximately 50% of HASA clients are over 50 years old
- Supportive housing programs have a low caseworker-to-client ratio (20:1) to better address the needs of older adults
Diana Ayala
0:25:40
I mean, we've mentioned this a couple of times, during my testimony and, council member, chair, Schulman's testimony that there is, an aging population.
0:25:52
How does HASA support the specific needs of the older adult community, you know, include including accessibility, mobility, and so
Joshua Elmore
0:25:59
on?
0:26:00
I
John Rojas
0:26:01
that's a great question, and thank you for that.
0:26:03
I think one of the the ways we best do that is ensuring our clients are accessing medical care.
0:26:09
So when they're seeing their HIV specialist, they're not only treating their HIV, they're also addressing any other comorbid conditions that they may have, any other clinical, conditions that they may have.
0:26:19
So, we routinely ask during home visits or during telephone contacts, are you seeing your medical provider?
0:26:27
Specifically for HIV, but at the same time, are you addressing your other health needs?
0:26:30
So by ensuring an individual is accessing medical care, they're, and particularly HIV medical care, they're also getting holistic screening of all their other needs.
0:26:40
We work closely with our colleagues at the Department of Health and particularly doctor Braunstein's team to, on a routine, semiannual basis, see how many of our clients are being engaged in care and how many are virally suppressed.
0:26:53
And then there's a specific focus on those individuals if they're not accessing care or virally suppressed, which allows us to really target in and say, hey.
0:27:00
You haven't seen a medical provider.
0:27:03
Why is that?
0:27:04
What is the barrier?
0:27:05
Or what's going on?
0:27:06
Or if you're not virally suppressed, you know, are you having challenges taking your r your ART medication?
0:27:11
So that collaboration with doctor Bronstein and her and her team really, affords us the opportunity to do, like, hyper micro targeting of our clients who are not engaged in care and and make sure that they do get engaged in care or at least support them.
0:27:24
Ultimately, it's their decision.
Diana Ayala
0:27:25
Yeah.
0:27:26
Do we know what the percentage of older adults of people that would be considered over
John Rojas
0:27:32
Sure.
0:27:34
I'm gonna be careful on this because I'm a man of a certain age, but I would say, I and I if I remember correctly, Jackie, I would say at least fifty percent of our clients are over the age of 50.
0:27:45
So and I would if I remember correctly, I think at least I would say at least thirty to forty percent of our clients have been with HASSA for more than twenty years.
Joe Hoff
0:27:55
Wow.
John Rojas
0:27:56
So we we do have a lot of long term survival, which is great, which really demonstrate, you know, the longevity of our clients on ART medication and, accessing medical care and and medical, treatment and medication.
Diana Ayala
0:28:11
We've been joined by council member Mannan.
0:28:14
In the supportive housing the HASA supportive housing, programs, are the are there social workers that are trained specifically to work with the elderly population.
0:28:27
I mean, because they they do have specific needs.
0:28:29
Right?
0:28:29
And Sure.
0:28:30
I mean, I I worked in a senior center and there was a lot of, mental health issues, right, that were going unaddressed.
0:28:39
There were, not only food insecurity, but maybe dementia, right, that was undiagnosed, difficulty with, you know, mobility, opening a window, changing a light bulb.
0:28:50
Like, these are things that we take for granted, but that impact the older adult community.
0:28:54
Like, are those programs
John Rojas
0:28:56
Absolutely, council member.
0:28:58
I I think one of the the important aspects of our supportive housing programs, and not just the HIV specific ones, but particularly the ones that HASA targets, and funds, we have a a low caseworker case manager to, client ratio.
0:29:15
It's 20 to one.
0:29:16
So therefore, in addition to the HASA caseworker that's engaging with the with the person with HIV AIDS, they have someone on-site if it's a congregate facility who will meet with them either weekly or or, monthly and assess their needs.
0:29:30
And that includes assessing what medical needs just beyond HIV as well, what are their general needs.
0:29:35
And then the good part about that is they get coordinate with the HASA case worker.
0:29:39
If an individual who's older needs, for example, home care or homemaking, that service can be coordinated through HASA directly.
0:29:46
It doesn't have to go to another area.
0:29:48
One of the divisions I also oversee is, Medicaid and home care.
0:29:52
So we have a coordination directly at HASA to coordinate for the provision of home care and, homemaking services directly.
0:30:00
So we could bypass a lot of that red tape to really enable someone to access, additional assistance if they need it in their home.