Almost half of East Midlands’ residents consider themselves or someone they live with to have a long term health condition. As we start the New Year, the NHS is encouraging every single one of them and their carers to take control of their conditions and stay healthy this winter.
More than 590,000 households in the East Midlands have said they have one or more occupants with a limiting long term illness. Last year 17 per cent of those people attended hospital as emergency admissions – with many admitted due to a repeat episode of the same condition.
Patients with a long term condition such as asthma, diabetes, heart or lung disease can be more at risk of their condition worsening during winter but with the right precautions a trip to the hospital can be avoided in many cases.
The advice for patients with long term conditions is:
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speak to your GP about a personalised care plan
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make sure you have sufficient supplies of your medication and that you know how to take it properly
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be prepared in case bad weather stops you going out for a couple of days
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plan ahead around the bank holiday opening hours over Christmas and New Year
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ensure you know who to contact if your condition worsens:
o your pharmacist
o your GP / community team
o your specialist
o NHS Direct 0845 46 47
o Walk in centre / minor injuries unit
Visit www.eastmidlands.nhs.uk or www.nhs.uk for more details
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monitor your condition, be aware of any changes and take action early
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attend any routine check-up appointments with your GP practice or specialist to stay on top of your condition
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get your flu and pneumonia jabs especially if you are in one of the priority groups
o everyone aged 65
o people with long-term conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma and multiple sclerosis
o those with serious kidney and liver disease
o pregnant women.
Patients with a long term condition may benefit from a Personalised Care Plan
Personalised Care Plans help people with a long term condition to have more control in managing their health requirements. They are adapted to suit the individual’s life and the stage of their condition and are agreed between the patient and their health care professional to help manage health issues on a day-to-day basis.
Dr Kathy McLean, Medical Director at NHS East Midlands said:
“Personalised Care Plans give patients the opportunity to be fully involved in decisions about their health care. They can help people to become more independent, to avoid preventable hospital admissions, and to prolong health-related quality of life. I would encourage any patient who has a long-term condition to ask their doctor to agree a personalised care plan as soon as possible to realise the benefits of having more control over their condition.”
A Personalised Care Plan supports people in managing their condition, taking into account anything that may affect the condition, such as the winter weather, and goals that are important to the patient such as losing weight or stopping smoking.
Plans may also include:
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The support services you want to access and information on what those services can provide to the patient
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Emergency numbers, such as who you should contact if you become very unwell and your doctor's surgery is closed
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Information on medicines and how they can work best for your condition
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Lifestyle information such as eating and exercise plans or information on employment requirements.
The care planning process also provides the patient with information to support more informed decision making and an understanding of the choices available. An example of a tool which can be used as part of the process is the Information Prescription* which tells you about your condition, your treatment options, the care services available to you and the benefits you can claim.
Case study (please note Ian has not had a personalised care plan through the NHS, but has undergone a similar social services assessment for his needs and care).
Ian, from Leicestershire, had a high-speed, motor sport accident in February 2009 which led to a seven-month stay in hospital. The accident left him with severe weakness on his left side, double vision, impaired swallowing and vocal abilities as well as rods in his neck and right foot.
Despite this, Ian feels he is very much in control of the services he receives from the NHS and Social Care. He said: “I’ve lost so much control in my life that I need to have input into and control over the health and social care services I receive.
“I use the direct payments I receive from social care to fund someone to come to my house and help me. My home has been adapted and a support worker from the charity Headway visits for a couple of hours each week.
“In addition I have rehabilitation on most week days, a combination of NHS and private physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy, which will improve my strength and hopefully my overall condition. I also visit the outpatient eye clinic every three months.
“In particular, in relation to winter, my parents have both had their flu jabs – for their own health and to prevent them spreading it to me; I turn up the heating to keep warm when I’m not as active and try to avoid any risk of falling.”
Since the accident, Ian’s made gradual improvement. He added: “I’ve stayed positive and optimistic about the future. Close friends and family have helped through regular visits, text, email and phone. I’ve also recently started to get some paid work from home, which I hope to build on after more training.
“I have overall management of the care I receive, my finances and my time which is both satisfying and rewarding.”
