ACommunity-BasedApproach to HN Case Management: Systematizing the Unmanageable

This article presentsan analysis and typologyof community-based care fora young Hispanic mother with acquiredimmune deficiency syndrome(AIDS). It develops a conceptual framework that examines retrospectively the needs generated by AIDS over time, the appropriateness of the services, and an assessment of the interventions. Community-based case managementcan effectively address some of the diverseand changing needsof AIDS patients and their families, suchas bridging servicegaps and fortifying patientand system strengths while minimizing theirweaknesses. Community-based case managersmay also be better equippedthanhospital case managers to work with difficult patientsand coordinate community- and hospital-based care. Conclusions are presented regarding the definition and implementation of community-based, culturally sensitive, family-centered human immunodeficiency virus case management, as well as the importance and difficulty of developing relationships among the family, health care providers, and institutions within the community