Self-direction
People with a chronic illness have regular contact with healthcare providers. At the health centers, we consider it important that clients make as many decisions about their treatment as possible themselves.
- Chronic condition: making choices
Living with a chronic condition comes with challenges. Finding a balance between daily activities and the limitations of the disease is an example of this.
This requires creativity from the client, their environment, and the involved healthcare providers. If all goes well, people with a chronic illness have contact with their healthcare provider only a few times a year. For the rest of the year, they are personally responsible for the choices that affect their health and life.
- Individual care plan
Creating your own individual care plan helps in making choices. The care plan includes goals. These can be different for everyone. Think of quitting smoking or exercising more. The client receives care that suits them (tailored).
To draw up their own care plan, the client must:
- Having sufficient information about the disease. Healthcare providers at health centers can provide a lot of information, but the internet and patient associations are also good sources of information.
- Being able to make your own decisions, in consultation with the healthcare provider.
- Seek or ask for help if necessary.
- Collaborating with healthcare providers.
- Being able to keep a close eye on symptoms: When does it get worse? When does it get better? What effect do medications, food, activities, people, and, for example, stress have? Keeping track of symptoms is called 'self-monitoring'. Self-monitoring can also mean: pricking your finger to check your blood glucose or measuring your blood pressure at home.
- Having sufficient information about the (side) effects of medicines.
- Self-management in health centers
Clients in health centers with a chronic disease such as diabetes, COPD, and cardiovascular disease are offered the opportunity to draw up their own care plan together with the general practitioner and practice nurse. Tools such as a self-care booklet are available for this purpose.
Together with your healthcare providers, you can determine what self-management activities you will undertake.