Running head: SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT PLAN

Your name:
Victor Pacis

Date:
October 13, 2016

Community or population of interest:

The service learning project will be done at the Moveable Feast of Maryland. The organization provides
medical nutritional assessment and support to a distinct, vulnerable population in the Baltimore City
area, the counties surrounding it, and the counties of Marylands Eastern Shore. Based on the dieticians
assessment and/or physicians recommendations, meals and supplements are then prepared and
delivered to their clients. The institutions main clients are homebound people living with HIV/AIDS.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2015), there are more
than 1.2 million people in the United States that are living with HIV. In 2014 alone, there are more than
44,000 new diagnosis of HIV nationally and about 2,200 individuals are from Maryland (CDC, 2015). As
of March 2014, statewide data shows almost 17,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS. Baltimore city has
the highest prevalence at around 6,700 cases (Quick Maryland HIV statistics, n.d.).
Review of literature and health outcomes data:
Health concerns of population of interest:
1. Food and nutrition insecurity can derail the HIV/AIDS populations ability to fend of diseases.
By bolstering the immune system and boosting energy levels, balanced nutrition can help the
body ght back against the ravages of the disease and by maintaining body weight it can
support drug treatments and prevent malnutrition (Nutrition plays key role in HIV/AIDS care ,
2003, p. 430).
2. Homelessness is a limiting factor to proper treatment and care. It is estimated that about
150,000 people living with HIV in the United States have need for better housing and that lack
of stable, secure, adequate housing is a signicant barrier to consistent and appropriate HIV
medical care, access and adherence to antiretroviral medications, sustained viral suppression,
and risk of forward transmission (Aidala et al, 2016, p. e1).
3. The psychological well-being of persons with HIV/AIDS affects the health of the community as
well. Mentally ill AIDS patient will most likely spread the disease, and when mental illness
markedly compromises adherence to HIV treatment regimens, public health is threatened:
community viral load is increased, and treatment-resistant virus strains can develop (Blank,
2016, p. 39).

SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT PLAN

Your selected health concern focus:

The selected health concern focus of this service learning project relates to the program of the proposed
agency where this writer will serve as a volunteer that is, providing food and nutritional sustenance to
persons living with HIV and AIDS. It is scientifically recognized that the right nutrition is needed in
maintaining their clients health and managing medical issues, and the right food influences how they
feel and respond to treatment.

Three possible nursing interventions:

1. Intervention towards quality sustenance and nutritional insecurity: the provision of free but high
quality food and supplements can stem weight loss due to tissue wasting and can improve
patient outcomes and mortality rates (Gorbach, 2005). Gorbach (2005) also stressed the
importance of micronutrients and their functions in maintaining immunity and possibly in the
alteration of HIV replication.
2. Intervention to homelessness: advocacy towards homelessness especially for all people with
chronic diseases is a must. This can be either in the form of financial assistance or provision of
easier access to rental apartments, help in home placements, or the provision of and settlement
in emergency shelters (Aidala et al, 2016).
3. Interventions for improve psychological well-being: referral to case workers or mental health
professionals so HIV/AIDS clients with mental illness can receive the right care and medications
(that poses no interaction risks with their current medications) and can be monitored for risky
behaviors such as drug or alcohol abuse (Blank, 2016).
Your selected nursing intervention:
Provide assistance to a non-profit organization that caters to people living with HIV/AIDS in the
preparation and/or packaging of nutritious food and supplements that will be made available to the said
community population of interest. This intervention will support the following goals:
1. Provide nutritional support to clients with HIV/AIDS to effectively combat and mitigate the
effect of their disease (e.g. immune suppression and weight/mass loss) and its co-morbidities;
and,
2. Combating AIDS reduces household economic viability, and vulnerability is increased with
poverty (Louch, 2014). By providing food security, clients can focus their energy and saved
financial resources into providing for themselves and their family members other needs of daily
living.
Brief plan for conducting nursing intervention:

SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT PLAN

This writer will complete an 8-hour volunteer work at the Moveable Feast of Maryland as a kitchen and
clerical assistant. Help will be provided to the permanent kitchen staffs and other volunteers in the
packaging of nutritious, in-house prepared food. Assistance will also be extended to the organizations
dieticians in packing appropriate daily supplements needed by the clients.

References
Aidala, A. A., Wilson, M. G., Shubert, V., Gogolishvili, D., Globerman, J., Rueda, S., & Rourke, S. B. (2016).
Housing Status, Medical Care, and Health Outcomes Among People Living With HIV/AIDS: A Systematic
Review. American Journal Of Public Health, 106(1), e1-e23. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.302905
Blank, M. B. (2016). Mental Health and HIV/AIDS. Psychiatric Times, 33(1), 39-43.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2015). HIV Surveillance Report, 2014; vol. 26.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/library/reports/surveillance/
Louch, C. (2014). Does the HIV/AIDs pandemic affect national and household level food security?
Positive Health, (214), 1.
Gorbach, S. L. (2005). A word on nutrition and HIV/AIDS. (2005). Nutrition in Clinical Care, 8(1), 1-51.
Nutrition plays key role in HIV/AIDS care. (2003). Journal of Advanced Nursing, 42(5), 430433.
Quick Maryland HIV Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://phpa.dhmh.maryland.gov/OIDEOR/CHSE/Pages/statistics.aspx