The ageing process of people living with HIV/AIDS

The aim of this study is to provide the Social Service with some reflections on the increase in the number of elderly people living with HIV/AIDS, highlighting the process of ageing with the disease as an expression of the social question. We carried out field research with users of a support group held at the Pedro Ernesto University Hospital, highlighting their long experience with AIDS and their accounts of their post-diagnosis experiences. Age as a demarcator of old age presents contradictions, so our discussion considers people living with HIV/Aids to be elderly from the age of 50, emphasising its meaning for users. Among the possible actions of the social worker regarding care for people living with HIV/Aids, we highlight the socio-assistance nature of the profession, through socio-educational actions, signalling the importance of comprehensive care in this field.