National Self Care Week 13th-19th November 2023
Self Care Week is an annual national awareness week that focuses on embedding support for self care across communities, families and generations.
The theme for 2023 is “Mind & Body”. This is a broad self care theme allowing you to choose your particular focus, whether it is daily choices like brushing our teeth, managing long term conditions, the benefits of exercise, looking after our mental wellbeing, understanding how to take care of minor ailments, work-life balance etc.
More needs to be done to support people to better look after their own, and their family’s health and wellbeing. Empowering individuals to self care has many benefits for their short term and long term health and this is important since people are living longer, but not necessarily in good health.
Helping people to look after their own health, and their family’s health also helps to manage demand on health services.
What do we mean by self care and why is it good for people?
The Self Care Forum’s definition of Self Care is:
The actions that individuals take for themselves, on behalf of and with others in order to develop, protect, maintain and improve their health, wellbeing or wellness.
Why is self care good for people?
Empowering people with the confidence and information to look after themselves when they can, and visit the GP when they need to, gives people greater control of their own health and encourages healthy behaviours that help prevent ill health in the long-term. In many cases people can take care of their minor ailments, reducing the number of GP consultations and enabling GPs to focus on caring for higher risk patients, such as those with comorbidities, the very young and elderly, managing long-term conditions and providing new services.
More cost-effective use of stretched NHS resources allows money to be spent where it’s most needed and improve health outcomes. Furthermore, increased personal responsibility around healthcare helps improve people’s health and wellbeing and better manage long-term conditions when they do develop. This will ultimately ensure the long-term sustainability of the NHS.
Social Prescribing Link Workers
This #selfcareweek we’re taking the self out of self-care. If you want to improve your health and wellbeing there is lots of help and support available to you. Social prescribing link workers are available through our GP practice.
Psychological Practitioners
Self-care includes your mental health and getting to the bottom of issues that might be holding you back or affecting your motivation. Psychological practitioners are accessible through our GP practice.
Pharmacy
You’d be amazed at how much self-care advice you can get from your local pharmacist. They can offer all kinds of advice and support to you.
NDPP
The National Diabetes Prevention Programme #NDPP is a great way to prevent Type 2 Diabetes and helps with weight loss and lifestyle changes. It is a way of guiding you through the self-care behaviours you need.