How Peers Help
Peers are specially trained individuals from the community who are living with HIV/AIDS. As members of the health care team, peers promote treatment adherence and foster trust in the health care system. They help clients navigate the sometimes intimidating world of HIV treatment and services by providing a range of support activities that include:
- Explaining the basics of HIV/AIDS and self-care to the newly diagnosed
- Connecting people with needed services
- Assisting with appointment reminders and transportation arrangements
- Accompanying clients to appointments
- Acting as a liaison between clients and their care providers
A peer’s presence in a busy clinic or hospital can help close the gap between health care providers and people who need help adapting to a sometimes daunting treatment plan.
For people living with HIV/AIDS, the realities of treatment and self-care can be overwhelming. Through shared background, culture, language, and knowledge of the community, peers can relate to clients in a way that health care workers often can’t. Peers offer encouragement and emotional support by:
- Listening to clients’ concerns and sharing similar experiences
- Offering strategies for incorporating medications and diet changes into a client’s daily routine
- Serving as a “voice of experience” by proactively addressing and discussing shared medical issues
- Modeling health behaviors
- Facilitating support and education groups
