Wk6 Managing Illness

Question 1

What is self care?

Answer 1

“..is a part of everyday living.. It is the care taken by individuals towards their own health and well-being and includes the care extended to their children, family, friends and others in neighbourhoods and local communities.”

“Self-care includes the actions people take for themselves, their children and their families to stay fit and maintain good physical and mental health; meet social and psychological needs; prevent illness or accidents; care for minor ailments and long-term conditions: and maintain health and well-being after an acute illness or s discharge from hospital”

Question 2

What are the functions of self care?

Answer 2

• Restorative: to alleviate illness
• Reactive: to alleviate symptoms
• Preventative: to prevent disease
• Regulatory: to regulate body processes

Question 3

What’s self care maintenance?

Answer 3

behaviours performed to improve well-being, preserve health, or to maintain physical and emotional stability

Question 4

What’s self care monitoring?

Answer 4

a process of routine, vigilant body monitoring, surveillance or “body listening”

Question 5

What is self care management?

Answer 5

evaluation to determine if action is needed, treatment implementation and treatment evaluation

Question 6

What is orthorexia?

Answer 6

Becoming healthy becomes an obsession

Question 7

What are the factors contributing to self care?

Answer 7

• Symptom management (the clinical iceberg)
• Definitions of health and illness
• Healthism/consumerism
• Body maintenance
• Changing beliefs about medical power and expertise
• Internet use
• Technology (self-testing kits)
• Over-the-counter medication/on-line pharmacy
• Increase in number of people with chronic disease • Expert patients
• Patient choice/empowerment
• Need to reduce NHS costs

Question 8

Why is there a focus on people with chronic illness?

Answer 8

 ageing population
 chronic disease & co morbidity
 health service demand
new concepts of ageing
lack of health education programmes for people with chronic disease

Question 9

What are differing assumptions of acute illness?

Answer 9

1. Ongoing
2. Cure expected
3. QOL highly dependent on professional care
4. QOL highly dependent on short-term acute health care services
5. Healthcare professional generally has greater knowledge of illness than the patient
6. Short term goals set
7. Compliance expected

Question 10

What are differing assumptions and characteristics of chronic illness?

Answer 10

1. Episodic
2. Incurable
3. QOL highly dependent on patient’s on professional care self-care and decision making skills
4. QOL dependent on ongoing support services
5. Patient generally has greater knowledge of illness than the healthcare professional
6. Short term goals set to meet long term outcomes
7. Compliance and self reliance expected

Question 11

What are the 12 self management tasks in chronic disease?

Answer 11

• Recognising & responding to symptoms, including monitoring symptoms & controlling triggers to symptoms
• Using medications
• Managing acute episodes & emergencies
• Maintaining good nutrition & an appropriate diet
• Maintaining adequate exercise & physical diet
• Not smoking
• Using relaxation & stress-reducing techniques
• Interacting appropriately with health care providers
• Seeking information & using community resources
• Adapting work & other role functions
• Communicating with significant others
• Managing the negative emotions & psychological responses
to illness