because of a dedicated care network.

Improved treatment of AIDS and cancer have helped to remove that tag from the hospice which is gearing itself to face a huge influx of cases in the future.

And a Hospice Care Panel says the whole community must become involved to respond to AIDS and all the surrounding problems.

The panel met at St. Brendan's Hospital yesterday as part of Clinical Social Work Week. Unit Co-ordinator at Agape House, Mrs. Hilary Soares spoke of the network of care for the families of people with AIDS in Bermuda.

Mrs. Soares said that a wide range of aspects must be looked at almost as soon as the HIV virus is diagnosed. She said: "People in the rest of the world are now saying that HIV is AIDS. AIDS is AIDS is AIDS.'' Families and friends are also contacted by professionals who help them to come to terms with the illness, as well as the person with AIDS. Children are now being included in counselling to adjust to life without parents who have died.

Psychologists, school counsellors, the Rape Crisis Centre, the Women's Resource Centre, STAR, PALS, the Salvation Army and many other groups are also involved.

But the situation is constantly changing as new treatments are being discovered and hopes of a miracle cure are improving.

Public health charge nurse, Mrs. Gaylia Landry said: "People are now tending to visit the hospice earlier in the illness. They can live for anything from one to 13 years after it is diagnosed. That is the length of `bereavement' we have to deal with.

"People know the hospice is not a death house. That is one of the myths about the hospice. People are now able to visit to familiarise themselves before they have to come in.'' Recently-appointed Clinical Psychologist Ms Peggy Johnson said: "It is not just a death house. People now go for nutritional build-up, pain control and a respite from home.'' Mrs. Soares said: "World Health Organisation statistics say that for every person diagnosed as HIV positive there are three to five more. So if you multiply the Bermuda figures by three or five you get some idea of the problems we could face here.'' The WHO is particularly worried about how many young people may be incubating the disease which can take 10 years to appear.