Workshop for people who know someone living with HIV returns

A FREE Melbourne workshop for carers, partners, friends and families of people living with HIV (PLHIV) will return for another stint, and will be run twice a year.

The first In The Loop workshop of the year will be held October 17-18 and is run by Living Positive Victoria (LPV) in conjunction with the Victorian AIDS Council (VAC).

For Helen Justice, the previous workshop in 2013 was a life saver for her family.

“It was the turning point in the way we were caring for Will [my brother] when he was ill,” she said.

“Our understanding of HIV increased dramatically and the group was run in such a way that everyone could ask the ‘silly’ questions and get the information and help they were looking for.

“After it was done, I felt such a profound sense of connection to the other people in the group.”

LPV stated that it was vital for carers, partners, friends and families of PLHIV to have avenues to access the right information and a good support network.

Skilled facilitators and counsellors from LPV and VAC will lead the workshop that aims to provide information about support services available in the community and explores the challenges and concerns that carers experience and how they might overcome these.

“HIV can be just as scary for those close to someone living with HIV as the person diagnosed,” LPV executive officer Brent Allan said.

“People living with HIV, especially those who have lived with it for a while, most probably have experienced periods of illness.

“Regardless if you’ve been caring for someone for a long time or someone you love has just disclosed to you, this is a safe and caring environment for everyone.

For more information on In The Loop, contact Dimtiri on 03 9863 8733.