Information and Support Physical health Physical health Long-term conditions What is a "long-term condition"? A long-term condition cannot be cured but its symptoms and complications can usually be controlled with treatment. Examples are arthritis, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and high blood pressure. Long-term conditions can have an effect on your role within the family, your job, your accommodation, your education and your finances. Self-management and self-care are crucial skills people with either a physical or mental condition need. On average, people living with a health condition spend just 4 hours per year with their health care team; the rest of the time they are managing day-to-day life with that condition on their own – or self-managing. Self Management UK educates you in the knowledge, skills and confidence you need to improve your wellbeing. Self-management does not mean doing it alone. We help you make informed choices about what services and support you want and need and how to work in partnership with your healthcare team. A Person-centred approach Self Management UK is a charity providing support and education to people with long-term health conditions. Our education courses are designed to give the right support at the right time in the right place to people with long-term conditions. in this way our courses are suitable for any long-term condition. We believe people with long-term conditions should feel understood, empowered and supported. We focus on the person and not the health condition. By taking this approach a persons’ support is more co-ordinated and appropriate. Read Micheline's story to find out more. Peer support Our courses are run by people who either have a long-term condition or look after someone who has. These tutors have been through a self-management course and have volunteered to be tutors in order to share the life-changing benefits of self-management education. By engaging volunteers, our programmes have a wider impact on local communities. Our aims are: To help those living with long-term conditions to better manage their condition and improve their health and wellbeing To engage healthcare professionals and commissioners to deliver and promote self-management To promote self-management among opinion leaders, policy makers and the government To develop innovative and cost-effective ways to deliver self-management interventions to meet commissioners’ budgets and local health population needs Get in touch to find out about how you can join one of our courses.
