Self care skills training course

After attending the self care skills training course, Polly*, a physiotherapist was
visited by a lady, Irene* in her sixties who had suffered a heart attack 4 weeks
prior. She was previously very active, engaging in activities such as line dancing,
swimming, and shopping. Her first appointment with cardiac rehabilitation
was the first time she had left the house in four weeks, other than many
presentations at accident and emergency with symptoms of angina. Irene
scored very highly on the anxiety and depression tests administered.

Polly used many of the tools from the course with Irene, which made her realise
how her health condition was taking over her life. Whilst Polly was explaining
the tools, Irene had a ‘lightbulb moment’ as she realised how the condition had
changed her life.

Polly and Irene began setting goals. Firstly Irene decided to visit the hairdresser at the end of the road. It was established from using the five areas model that Irene’s confidence and self esteem was very low and both agreed this would help with her self esteem and with her confidence to leave the house. Polly then used the tools when Irene returned to clinic to highlight how she had managed to ‘move the condition one seat back on the bus’ by achieving her goal.

Irene continued to set goals such as going out with friends, going shopping
with her daughter and resuming her line dancing hobby; all of which she
achieved and even surpassed.

The daily activity log made Irene realise that it was during her time spent sitting
and doing nothing that she developed chest pain and all involved realised that
Irene was experiencing symptoms of angina pain due to anxiety.

Irene no longer experiences chest pain, and is continuing to set her own goals
post-discharge. She has even gone on to take part in a GP exercise referral
scheme.

Polly asserts that she feels due to her moving away from her previously held
medical model of pain and using cognitive behavioural approaches that she was
able to have such an impact on Irene’s rehabilitation. She feels that without the
new techniques learned on the self care skill training course that this would not
have happened.

*name changed