UK self-care support initiatives for older patients with long-term conditions: a review

Supporting self-care for people with long-term conditions is an aim of UK health policy. As many with long-term conditions are older it is of interest to explore which self-care support interventions have positive impacts for this group. This review explores what types of intervention have been reported in the UK and their impact upon older people.

Studies were identified using existing reviews, electronic databases and through hand searching journals. After inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied data were extracted from 18 studies. These were summarized in a narrative synthesis supported by summary tables.

All studies described interventions to support self-care, many targeted at people with arthritis. All used patient education, usually delivered to groups by a range of professionals. The majority of studies reported some significant positive outcomes, most frequently changes in physical functioning, illness knowledge and increased self-efficacy. The average age of participants was 60.

This review shows that self-care interventions have had positive effects for older participants but it remains unknown how best to support self-care in participants over 75, a group of people with long-term conditions who may have different needs.