The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences that HIV and AIDS patients who are on Community Home Based Care Programme have in the Lilongwe district of Malawi. Finally; concrete propositions were developed for the implementation of quality community and home based care programmes in Malawi. A qualitative research design using an interpretive phenomenology was used. The study took place in semi-rural and urban areas of Lilongwe district using patients from 3 major organizations dealing with people living with HIV and AIDS. Purposive sampling technique was used to choose the sample and a total of 15 in-depth interviews were conducted. Data was analyzed using ATLAS ti version 5. Findings revealed that the majority of the participants were concerned that they were living with HIV and AIDS. Most of them expressed anxiety, worries and fears of death. Another majority complained about the burden of opportunistic infections. Almost half of the participants felt guilty bringing misery to their families and complained of stigma and discrimination. However, a minority group of participants felt that to live with HIV and AIDS is not the end of life. Relatives were mentioned as the main care providers to HIV and AIDS patients. However, they were also cited high as a source of stigma. Conclusions were made that women and girls are at the highest risk as they bear the burden of care. It was therefore recommended that the Government of Malawi and all Non Governmental Organizations should develop women social economic status through promotion of education, provision of loans and provision of Gender Sensitive trainings. Formal training for care of HIV and AIDS patients should be introduced to all primary caregivers to render quality care in the homes and therefore this study has developed and pre-tested an educational program for this group. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

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An examination of the influence of medieval numerology and number theory upon the works of the Gawain poet, this essay seeks to connect the importance of numbers to the construction of the four poems. By examining such number theories as the Divine Proportion and marriage numbers, as well as Pythagorean number concepts of masculine and feminine numbers, a clear connection between the literature and the number can be found. The poet not only seeks to use numbers to impart important Christian doctrine to his readers in a subconscious way, he also demonstrates an extreme pre-planning of every line and layout of each poem upon the page. Continuing in current critical traditions of examining this manuscript as whole, "Pearl, " "Patience, " "Cleanness, " and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" are shown to join together in an interweaving of connectivity through number pattern and the repetition of important numerological concepts.

This thesis analyses the concept of hospitality in the context of migration ethics. The underlying philosophical ideas of Kant, Levinas and Derrida are outlined and critically discussed. The use of hospitality in migration ethics as mainly a concern within the political dimension of society, devalues the concept and neglects the social dimension of hospitality. I argue that migration ethics should be more concerned with integration and that it is more relevant to speak of hospitality in relation to integration rather than migration, since hospitality has to do with interpersonal interactions. In order to view hospitality in the social dimension of society, I present some cases of interpersonal hospitality practiced today. Drawing from those examples whilst using a virtue ethics approach, I consider three virtues that I deem to be prerequisites for hospitality: courage, humility and patience. Hospitality is a rich and multi-layered concept and practice. I conclude that one such layer is hospitality fostering integration. That is, hospitality functioning as social cohesion with a potential to bring different parts together as a whole.

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Thesis (MFamMed)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH SUMMARY: Background: Sub Saharan Africa is home to approximately two thirds of the world’s population of HIV positive individuals. In view of the socioeconomic challenges of the region governments have provided antiretroviral therapy free to improve chances of survival among patients. However, adherence to antiretroviral therapy is recognised as more important in predicting patient survival. Aim: The study aimed to describe the prevailing factors that influence adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Methods: The study design was carried out using three methods of data collection. Focus group discussions, semi structured interviews and a questionnaire format. Setting: This study has been conducted among adult patients attending the Dora Nginza Hospital Adult wellness clinic. Results: The methods highlighted factors that influence antiretroviral therapy revealing psychosocial factors – lack of family support, not wanting to take medicines in front of people outside the home; patient factors – co morbidities that disturb patient adherence to therapy, a lack of trust in the patient-care giver relationship, fear of the drug side effects; socioeconomic factors – patients’ inability to afford food or transport costs to clinic appointments. In the semi structured interviews, 25% of patients self reported on poor adherence while in the questionnaire 5% of patients reported poor adherence. In assessing the effect of adherence to therapy on CD4 count and viral load there was a general increase in CD 4 count and a drop in viral load indicating clinical improvement in patients on therapy. Recommendation: There is a need for clinicians developing a health relationship with patients to facilitate adherence. The interventions designed to help patients in adherence to therapy should involve the patients in question in the designing of these interventions. Conclusion: Adherence monitoring is an important aspect of managing patients on antiretroviral therapy. The factors highlighted are similar to findings of other studies in similar contexts i.e. resource poor settings. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Opsomming nie beskikbaar.

Background The aim of palliative care is to ease suffering and facilitate quality of life for patients with progressive or terminal disease or injury. This form of care is described as a meaningful part of person-centered healthcare with the objective is to ease physical, psychological, spiritual and social suffering. The palliative care approach includes competent assessments from the patient’s physical, psychological, existential and social perspective to enable a worthy life with best possible quality of life until death. Patients in need of palliative care often suffer from symptoms that are difficult to treat with standard pharmacological means. At the same time, palliative caregivers report moral stress as good care cannot be given to the desired extent. Therefore, there is a requirement of complementary treatment methods within palliative care. Aim The aim of this study was to explore the palliative care patients' experiences with music therapy and the effects of this treatment. Method This study was accomplished as a non-systematic review article with implementation of the systematic method. The results of this literature review was based on 15 scientific articles with quantitative, qualitative and mix-method design. Articles relevant to this study were quality-reviewed according to the Sophiahemmet University assessment basis for quality review for scientific classification of articles. The analyzed content was synthesized in five main categories. Results Five main categories and ten subcategories were examined in this study. Results of this study demonstrated that the majority of the participants who received music therapy interventions experienced a pain relieving effect. This study also demonstrated that music therapy facilitates the experience of well-being, relaxation and reduced psychological suffering. Majority of the patients who received music therapy described positive emotions, meanwhile music therapy could in some cases contribute to thoughts about illness and the loss of autonomy which could lead to anxiety. Simultaneously, some patients found music therapy to reduce anxiety and experienced facilitated spiritual well-being. Overall, the music therapy had a high acceptance rate and comparatively few side effects. Conclusions This study displayed that the majority of the palliative care patients acquired positiveexperiences with music therapy related to physical, psychological, existential and social health. / Bakgrund Den palliativa vården syftar till att lindra lidande och främja livskvalitetet för patienter med progressiv eller obotlig sjukdom och/eller skada. Vårdformen beskrivs som en betydelsefull del av personcentrerad hälso- och sjukvård eftersom målet var att minska på hälso-relaterat lidande såväl fysiskt, psykiskt, andligt och socialt. Inom det palliativa förhållningssättet ingår det att utföra kompetenta bedömningar utifrån patientens fysiska, psykologiska, existentiella och sociala perspektiv för att möjliggöra ett värdigt liv med bästa möjliga livskvalitet till livets slut. Patienter som har behov av palliativ vård har symtom som kan vara svårbehandlade med standardiserade farmakologiska medel. Samtidigt uttrycker palliativ vårdpersonal en moralisk stress över att god vård inte kan ges i den utsträckning som önskas. Därmed finns ett behov av komplementära behandlingsmetoder inom den palliativa vården. Syfte Syftet var att undersöka palliativa patienters upplevelser och effekterna av musikterapi. Metod Denna litteraturstudie utfördes som en icke-systematisk litteraturöversikt med en systematisk metod. Litteratursökningen baserades på 15 vetenskapliga artiklar av både kvantitativ och kvalitativ design. Valda artiklar kvalitetgranskades enligt Sophiahemmet Högskolas bedömningsunderlag för vetenskaplig klassificering. Innehållet analyserades och sammanställdes i fem huvudkategorier. Resultat Fem huvudkategorier samt tio underkategorier undersöktes i föreliggande studie. Resultatet visade på att majoriteten av patienter som erhöll musikterapi upplevde en smärtlindrande verkan. Det visade även på att musikterapi främjade upplevelsen av välbefinnande, avslappning och kunde bidra till minskat psykiskt lidande. Majoriteten av patienter som erhöll musikterapi beskrev positiva känslor, men musikterapi kunde också bidra till tankar på sjukdom och patientens förlust av autonomi vilket kunde leda till ökad ångest. Samtidigt kunde andra patienter uppleva musikterapi som ångestlindrande och att den hade en främjande inverkan på det spirituella välbefinnandet. Överlag hade musikterapin en hög acceptans med förhållandevis få biverkningar. Slutsats Föreliggande studie visade på att majoriteten av palliativa patienter erhöll positiva upplevelser av musikterapi kopplat till fysiska, psykiska, existentiella och sociala hälsan.

The present study covers the causes of victory and defeat in the light of chapter eight of the Holy Qur'an. It has been prompted by the current situation facing Muslims in many parts of the world, which is characterized by despair, reversals and loss, This study is thus reflexive in nature. In order to obtain a satisfactory response to this predicament, the relevant text in addition to several of its commentaries were scrutinized. The latter search remained unsatisfactory since their focus of inquiry was merely exegetical and failed to reveal any didactic element, which is crucial for obtaining guidance. This work has successfully managed to deduce this aspect from the text which amplifies the importance of extensive sacrifice for gaining glory. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M.A. (Islamic studies)

The study aimed at describing patients’ satisfaction with health care services provided in the city of Johannesburg. The research sample consisted of adult male and female patients who visited region E clinics for health services. Questionnaires were used to collect data and descriptive statistics for data analysis. Findings indicated that patients were generally satisfied with health care services provided. Recommendations included ongoing staff training to improve quality of health care and public information and education campaigns to foster community awareness and understanding of health services, develop a sense of ownership thereof, and encourage positive participation. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health studies)

No description available.