South and North Coast Community HIV/AIDS Forum Series ?– September 2004

The September 2004 South and North Coast's HIV/AIDS Fora, hosted by HIVAN, were held at the Shallcross Community Hall in the South Coast and the Verulam Child and Family Welfare Society in the North Coast. The title for these fora was ?“The Dream Centre ?– Palliative Medical Care?”.

Dr. Henry Sunpath, Medical Director at the Dream Centre presented in Shallcross and Neil McDonald, the Human Resources Manager and Moya Themba the spiritual Counsellor presented in Verulam.

The Dream Centre is a 240 bed, NGO facility that provides institutionalised home-based care for the following needs:

• Non hospital based continuum of care for HIV/AIDS patients.
• Terminal care for HIV/AIDS patients.


The speakers discussed palliative care which is an approach to care that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing potentially life-threatening illness through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification, assessment and treatment of pain as well as physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs of the patient. Palliative care is integral to the care of HIV patients at every stage of the disease, to minimize physically distressing symptoms related to opportunistic infections, ARV toxicity and the virus itself and to provide emotional and spiritual support for the patient, family and friends.

The Components of HIV Palliative Care include:


• Management of common ailments and symptoms including pain control and depression.
• Nutritional interventions
• Prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of opportunistic infections.
• Spiritual, psychological and emotional support.


The Dream Centre operates in collaboration with McCord Hospital, and offers comprehensive care in a holistic manner that includes the following services: Medical doctors; Nursing staff; Social workers; Psychologists; Physiotherapists; Occupational therapists; HIV Counsellors; Support Group Services; Income generation projects and Anti Retroviral treatment programmes in partnership with existing institutions providing this care.

Patients are admitted to the Dream Centre from the following institutions: St. Mary?’s Hospital; McCord Hospital; Kwa Dabeka Clinic; Highway Hospice; Sinikithemba Centre; Addington Hospital and other provincial government hospitals.

Patients who are discharged are linked with community home-based care centres and natural home based care workers. Those requiring Anti-Retroviral treatment where affordable are referred to different service providers.