Resources for People with Chronic Conditions

What does it mean to self-manage your chronic health condition?

It means taking an active role in your own health and healing. When this happens, people get healthier. Self-management can be taking any or all of the following steps:

Manage your condition by taking medicines and eat a healthy diet. Keep physically active or start an exercise program.
Track and understand your symptoms. Contact your health care team early if your symptoms change or are worsening.
Stay active with friends, family and your job. This may mean changing how you normally do things and letting people know if you need help.
Manage emotions such as depression and anger that may arise as a result of your situation.
Change your relationship with your health care providers so they are more like partners and advisors. You manage the condition on a daily basis, so you need to talk honestly with your health care team about how you are feeling and what you need.

You can learn to become more active in your own care by growing in 3 areas:

Believe in your ability to succeed.
Set clear, achievable goals and follow through.
Spend time with people who successfully manage their own conditions and learn from them.

There are many ways to become a good self-manager. Reading about your condition, looking for online resources and taking classes are all ways you can start on the path to better health. Your health care provider may have ideas or hints to help you get started.

HealthEast offers Pathways to Better Health, a series of classes to help you become a more effect self-manager.

In addition, here is a list of resources to help you better manage your chronic health condition and improve your life.

Online resources

New Health Partnerships is a web site for self-management. Find information on communicating with your health care provider, setting goals, taking medications and more.
Patient Powered is a web site with general self-management tips and tools. It is sponsored by several nonprofit groups in the state of Washington that are leaders in self-management support. It has specific information for people living with heart failure or diabetes.
Adult Meducation is an excellent web site by the American Society on Aging and the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. If you are struggling to keep track of your mediations, this site offers tips.
5 Wishes
Gather information on health care directives, also known as advance medical directives or living wills.

Tools for success

Healthy changes plan (pdf) Setting goals is key to better-managed chronic conditions. This tool will help you set specific, achieveable goals and plan the steps to reach those goals. This tool is helpful for those who are new at setting goals. Click here (pdf) for instructions on how to use this tool.
Learning How to Change Habits has excellent, easy-to-read information aimed at diabetes as well as general information for anyone wanting to make changes. (Also available in Spanish.)
Readiness to Change Ruler and Confidence to Change Ruler (pdf)
If you're thinking about making a change, or have been asked to make a change by your health care provider, this tool is for you. It helps you understand if you're ready to change and how confident you are you can.
Action plan for diabetes (pdf)
This two–page action plan from the National Diabetes Education Project gives brief hints on ways to improve ABCs (A1c, blood pressure, cholesterol). It also has an action plan area for you to complete. This tool is more effective if you are an experienced goal setter.
Diabetes management assessment tool (pdf)
This tool helps measure how well you are managing your diabetes by dividing your symptoms into green, yellow and red zones. What zone you are in helps you determine if you should call your physician.
Asthma management assessment tool (pdf)
This tool helps measure how well you are managing your asthma by dividing your symptoms into green, yellow and red zones. What zone you are in helps you determine if you should call your physician.
Congestive heart failure management assessment tool (pdf)
This tool helps measure how well you are managing your congestive heart failure by dividing your symptoms into green, yellow and red zones. What zone you are in helps you determine if you should call your physician.
Physical activity questionnaire (pdf)
This questionnaire, put out by the American Medical Association, will help you and your physician understand your physical activity patterns.
Weight management questionnaire (pdf)
This questionnaire, from the American Medical Association, will assist you and your physician in identifying eating and weight patterns and develop the best weight management plan for you.