Experiencing Long-term Care, Rehabilitation & Recovery (BSc Adult Essay

Experiencing Long-term Care, Rehabilitation & Recovery (BSc Adult Nursing) - Essay Example The study focuses on two themes that are important to understand long term conditions and long term care. These themes are; self care/self support and supported care management. Self care/ self support involves persons with long term conditions managing their own care plans without much help from others for instance nurses and other professionals. This concept is known as â€Å"expert patient† and it is based on the premise that the person with the condition or disease understands it better than health care professionals. These patients have more knowledge about their conditions and have therefore learned ways of managing them. The patients undertake programs which provide information, resources and ways of developing relationships with healthcare bodies. This approach has demonstrated benefits for patients because they possess more knowledge of their conditions, ensures participation in decision making and get involved in the symptoms management processes. Although the concept of â€Å"expert patient† has its advantages, we must always be mindful of leaving some patients feeling abandoned and neglected when they are not able to manage skills and information they have been provided with. It is therefore advisable for patients to enroll in the supported care where nurses and other professionals are able to take care of both their personal and health needs. This is the reason that there must be a partnership with the patients, nurses and other professionals. The second half of the twentieth century brought a realization that due to the increase in numbers of people living with long term conditions (LTC), health care needed to be improved with an emphasis on patients being empowered to become decision makers in their care (Margerson, 2010). In the case scenario of Angela, the study concludes that she should focus more on supported care management where professionals with vast knowledge will assist