Original Research - Special Collection: Practical Theology

Caring for the carer in the era of HIV diagnosis

Lempye J. Sempane, Maake J. Masango
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 69, No 2 | a1163 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v69i2.1163 | © 2013 Lempye J. Sempane, Maake J. Masango | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 16 August 2011 | Published: 24 May 2013

About the author(s)

Lempye J. Sempane, Department of Practical Theology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Maake J. Masango, Department of Practical Theology, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

The care of terminally ill patients can be physically, emotionally as well as psychologically exhausting. In the era where everyone is busy with his or her hectic daily schedule, caring for someone diagnosed with HIV on her or his deathbed can be a daunting challenge. Caring for someone dying of AIDS does not only challenge the physical being but rather leaves the carer emotionally drained. What was of concern to the author was to see the struggle that the caregiver goes through whilst caring for the sufferer. More often than not, pastoral care and counselling concentrate mainly on the pain and the suffering of the sick person. In the process, pastoral care loses sight of the agony, the emotional strain and, above all, the trauma of the caregivers in their search for answers as they care for the infected. This scenario has prompted the author to look into the theology of caring with an emphasis on pastoral care of the carers with a view of alleviating their emotional burden in caring for the HIV patients.

Keywords

Caring; HIV/AIDS; Diagnosis; Ubuntu; Terminally

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Crossref Citations

1. The pastoral role in moral regeneration – A South African perspective
Magezi E. Baloyi
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doi: 10.4102/ids.v58i1.2993