Self-management and wound care

23 February 2024 15:00 - 15:35

Self-care is about taking responsibility for your own health and having the confidence to use the right service at the right time.
It refers to the collaborative partnership between clinicians and patients to support individuals to manage their wounds themselves. Benefits include greater patient engagement, improved physical health, reduced stress and anxiety, boosts your self-esteem and protects your mental health. The psychological, emotional and social impacts of coping and living with a wound are wide-ranging, including pain, low self-esteem, social isolation, anxiety and depression. It is evident that a change to the model of care provision for people with wounds is needed, and self-care needs to be encouraged and promoted as early in the treatment journey as possible.

Ayesha Marshall, Nurse Consultant Patient Safety & Tissue Viability, South Tyneside and Sunderland