Self care means looking after yourself in a healthy way, if you have a long-term condition there are extra things you may need to consider. Self care also means staying active by doing things that are important to you if possible. It involves looking at what you can do and want to do, rather than what you can’t do.
Long term conditions
If you have a long term condition it's important you stay active and try continue the things that are important to you such as gardening, seeing friends and family, going on holiday, or continuing to work. Long term conditions include:
- Back pain and joint problems
- Chronic pain
- Coronary heart disease
- Depression and anxiety
- Neurology conditions
- Respiratory problems
Self care options
Self Care is about looking after yourself, living a healthy lifestyle and looking at what you can do and want to do, rather than what you can't do. Our self-care options include:
- Better in Kirklees supports people living with a long-term health condition to become more active and involved in their community. Through social prescribing, they connect people to groups and activities close to where they live based on their interests.
- Six steps to better health is a booklet for people with long term health conditions and their carers. People in Kirklees who are living with long term health conditions, and those who are caring for them, have told us that one of the most important steps on the way to better health and wellbeing, is ‘regaining a sense of control. So we’ve put together this booklet to help you do just that. It contains six questions to help you think about your situation, so you can start to take control of your health.
- Health trainers a free service for adults with a long term health condition and who want to make positive changes to their lives to improve their health and wellbeing.
- Expert Patients Programme a free course for anyone with a long-term health condition or illness who would like to learn self-management skills for controlling and improving their health. The courses are held locally and are tailored to the needs of the people who attend.
- Reading Well the scheme aims to bring the healing benefits of reading to people with anxiety and depression.
- My Health Tools A guided journey through self-care for persistent pain, breathing problems and anxiety.
- PALS (Practice Activity and Leisure Scheme) a 45 week exercise referral scheme in Kirklees.
- Kirklees Active Leisure for fitness, swimming and sports as regular activity lowers the risk of many chronic diseases and boosts self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy.