Long Term Condition Management All assignment 1 & 2 3300 Assignment 1 Suggested resources and reading for Assessed discussion 1 (these are not the only resources available but they will give you...

LONG-TERM CONDITIONS
INTRODUCTION
Long-term condition comes along with a number of challenges in leading a healthy and socially sound life. Directly or indirectly, the effects are experienced by the individual, family members and carers. It is found that 20 million people in UK experience the dilemmas of at least one LTC on an everyday basis (Roddis et. al. 2016). As per statistics, the health condition consume about £77bn of the £110bn and £10.9bn of the £15.5bn budget allotted for medical care and social care respectively by National Health Society (NHS) in the country like England which leads the long-term condition management globally(Campbell 2014). Most of the affected individuals find themselves in a position of despair and find it difficult to ca
y on with the daily routines including education and profession. However, looking from a different perspective, long-term conditions though cannot be cured completely, can be controlled to a certain extent to lead a better life through adaptation. The article through a case study examines the day-to-day effects of living with long-term conditions like asthma, obesity and hypertension. The physical, psychological and educational needs are analyzed along with addressing the interpersonal, interprofessional and organizational issues faced by the patient. It also studies some of the major behavioral-change theories, different assistive technologies and evidence-based practices to support the patient both medically and socially.
LONG-TERM CONDITIONS: SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE
Long-term Condition (LTC) according to the Department of Health in England is a diseased state which is incurable completely in the present day but can be controlled by medications and/or alternative therapies. Some of the common long-term conditions are psoriasis, asthma, thrombophilia, arthritis, dementia and so on. Constituting 70% of the patient population, studies have shown these individuals disburse 70% in inpatient admissions and 65% in outpatient appointments (Roddis et al. 2016). The condition has widespread impact in the life of the individual and on the society as a whole. The quality of life is impacted significantly as the person finds it difficult to ca
y out the day-to-day activities with full force. In the work front, individuals with LTC suffer from loss of pay, reduced performance, early retirement and increased absenteeism. The individuals also experience social isolation in a large number of cases which make the management of the conditions a more difficult process. (Bajorek, Hind and Bevan 2016).The numbers have witnessed an alarming rise in the recent years with LTC turning to be the major challenge faced by healthcare today. This is attributed to the ageing population and different lifestyle components like smoking, drinking and overeating (Campbell 2014).
In the case of patients with multiple long-term conditions, the continuity of the treatment is lost between the highly specialized hospital (secondary) care and the more-generalized GP (General Practitioner) care. This wide gap in healthcare put the patients under pressure and further confusion. It is high time for the GPs to gain more specialization in order to meet the increasing healthcare demands (Campbell 2014).
CASE STUDY
Mary is 48 years old, ma
ied to George and a mother of three teenagers. She works as a teacher in a primary school. She is obese and being treated for hypertension and asthma. She does not exercise very often as she is symptomatic of a hip bursitis that has responded neither to medication nor to physiotherapy. In the last 6 months, she has been bothered by symptoms of perimenopause with frequent hot flushes. She has been offered hormone therapy but she is uncertain about accepting as her mother died from
east cancer 2 years ago.
Mary is affected by multiple long term conditions which are obesity, asthma and hypertension. Symptoms of hip bursitis and perimenopause add to her agony.
OBESITY
Obesity is a spreading epidemic characterized by abnormal adiposity in the body. In 1995, 200 million obese adults were estimated globally. By 2000, the number rose to an alarming 300 million along with a rapid increase in childhood obesity (Ofei 2005). Long years of obese life result in different other diseases, disabilities and even death (Wyatt 2013). The common non-communicable diseases as a result of the condition include type 2 diabetes, hypertension, strokes, certain cancers, infertility among others (Ofei 2005). Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference measurements are the commonly employed clinical diagnosis. A BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 with waist circumference (for whites) >40 inches for man and>35 inches for woman is considered as obesity. Treatment procedures are determined depending on the rate of risk. For individuals with low risk, diet, exercise and behavioral therapy; pharmacotherapy for individuals with a como
idity and surgery as the ultimate solution in high risk patients is suggested (Wyatt 2013).
Mary finds herself in lack of an appropriate social circle at the school or in the residential neighborhood. She figures it to be the stigma associated with her bulky appearance.
ASTHMA
Asthma is an unstable inflammatory condition of the respiratory system. When the person encounters an i
itant, the symptoms are exhibited due to obstruction in the airways of the lungs. The major symptoms include shortness of
eath, wheezing, coughing and a congested chest. The major como
idities faced by these individuals are depression, hypertension, diabetes, heart conditions and COPD along with functional disabilities. Asthma affects 5.4 million in UK of which 2.4 million are of the working age. 45% of the patients continue to work with symptoms. As treatment for the condition, large number of patients relies on inhalers- reliever inhalers daily or preventer inhalers periodically.
Asthma often leaves Mary exhausted with difficulty in walking, performing exercises or sleeping at night. Her health demands staying away from work during cold weather or days of increased pollution (dust). Mary gets disheartened by the fact that her ability at workplace is reduced in comparison to her counterparts. Asthma attacks are also accelerated by stress.
(Bajorek, Hind and Bevan 2016)
HYPERTENSION
Hypertension is increased blood pressure characterized by greater than or equal to 140/90 mm Hg for a period of time. Hypertension is found to be the leading cause of death in developed countries aggravated by cardiovascular diseases. It increases the risk of stroke, myocardial infarction and death i
espective of age (Tsuyuki, McLean, and McAlister 2008). Hypertension is most commonly diagnosed by the handcuff method. Treatment includes the use of antihypertensive drugs of one or more agents. Stress and other psychological factors are proved to increase hypertension...