Final answer:
Older HIV-infected clients may face increased risks due to the progression of HIV to Stage 3 AIDS, characterized by extremely low CD4 T-cell counts and increased susceptibility to severe opportunistic infections and complications. Continuous antiretroviral therapy is essential for managing the condition and prolonging health.
Step-by-step explanation:
When discussing HIV-infected clients, it's important to understand the disease progression through its stages. During the first stage, known as acute HIV infection, individuals may show flu-like symptoms, a high viral load, and are very contagious. If untreated, the disease progresses to chronic HIV infection, where symptoms may subside, but the virus continues to attack the immune system. Eventually, most individuals progress to Stage 3: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), characterized by a CD4 T-cell count below 200 cells/μL or the presence of opportunistic infections and rare cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma. Patients with AIDS have severely compromised immune systems, making them highly susceptible to pathogens that would not normally cause disease in healthy individuals, and they may also experience wasting syndrome and dementia complex.
Older HIV-infected clients may face an increased risk of these complications due to their age-related decline in immune function, in addition to the immune suppression caused by HIV. Therefore, it is crucial for them to receive prompt and continuous antiretroviral therapy to maintain viral suppression, delay the progression of the disease, and reduce the risk of transmission.