Learning Self-Care Skills - from Dec.07 report

How can self-help groups learn more about their own health care needs? Are there any self-learning manuals or books? Can health care and social professionals provide knowledge and skills to them about their own health care needs? Is theoretical knowledge enough?

In the meeting held in Rome in December 2007, the group reached the following conclusions:

1. Usually health care professionals are too busy and do not have time for interacting with persons with disabilities/persons with chronic conditions. Perhaps they feel threatened by their ideas of self care? However, those that do start interacting as facilitators and not as prescribers, seem to appreciate this role.

2. Some theoretical knowledge is fine but it should be linked with practical on-the-hands training. Learning sessions need to be interactive.

3. Persons may not be comfortable in mixed gender groups or mixed age groups to discuss all their body needs. Training sessions need to have the possibility of organising meetings limited to only women or only men or only young adults, etc. according to their needs.

4. Those persons who had long experience of living with a disability or chronic condition requiring continuing or periodic medical care, may also learn new ideas and skills in such learning sessions.

5. Finding simple ways to express ideas and information that are understable to non professionals is not always easy. Not all professionals may be good facilitators for these learning sessions. Support from proper and simple learning materials may be needed that is sensitive to specific living and cultural contexts.