ABSTRACT
The legal definition of family no longer seems to be sufficient within the reality of AIDS, as the natural caregivers of persons infected by HIV are frequently found outside the traditional nuclear family unit. Many HIV infected persons are culturally marginal, socially alienated or profess sexual orientations, values or customs which are far different from those of mainstream society or of their natural caregivers. The success of the care regimen of persons infected by HIV depends in great part on the attitudes, activities and committed participation of their natural caregivers. With the social disruption caused by the diagnosis of HIV, the natural caregiver and the infected person often are denied the closeness of family support, available to those suffering from other chronic illness. With the collaboration and cooperation of the natural caregiver, certain alternative methods or therapies for pain control and stress management can be integrated into the multidisciplinary HIV/AIDS team care plans.
