Nashine Ginwenimazawin: Constant Care

"Nashine Ginwenimazawin" means "constant care" in the Ojibway language. This training manual provides suggestions and ideas of how to support Aboriginal people going through the last stages of AIDS and who are in need of palliative care. This manual uses a story-telling method to provide education and awareness to people living with AIDS and caregivers. Story-tellers include Aboriginal people living HIV/AIDS; Aboriginal Elders; Aboriginal support persons; and other support persons. Long narratives and short excerpts from narratives are included in the body of the document, along with commentary by the authors. The topics include the question of when a person needs a care team; how care teams work; physical aspects of going through the last stages of AIDS; spiritual and traditional treatments and management of symptoms; emotional issues for both people with AIDS and caregivers; communication issues with medical personnel; legal questions about suicide and euthanasia; and resources available in terms of AIDS service organizations (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal), housing, health care, and palliative care.