Disability among Persons Aging with HIV/AIDS.

Persons surviving to older ages with HIV/AIDS often face an accelerated aging accompanied by increased comorbidity and decline in health and function. In this chapter, we review the process of disablement among persons aging with HIV/AIDS, from chronic conditions to impairments and functional limitations, leading to disability. Chronic immune activation related to chronic HIV infection may contribute to early development of chronic conditions that are common in older adults resulting in premature disablement. Anatomical and physiological changes related to the aging process make people vulnerable to physical and cognitive impairments. In old age, quality of life depends mainly on avoidance and management of age-associated diseases rather than chronological parameters. Interventions to manage chronic conditions associated with aging may have a significant impact on quality of life in older persons with HIV infection. Because of the complexity of physical and cognitive impairments among persons aging with HIV infection, a range of supports and interventions will be needed to effectively address the problem of disablement in this population.