Self-care is a basic requirement for anyone who wishes to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Self-care, in regards to health promotion, can be defined as “deliberative activities initiated or performed by an individual, family, or community to achieve, maintain, or promote maximum health and well-being” (Pender, Murdaugh, & Parsons, 2011, p. 265). Essentially, anyone participating in self-care is taking responsibility to advocate for his or her health; they are also willing to work through any genuine barriers, or perceived barriers, to maintain their healthy lifestyle. Barriers are the obstacles that can interfere with a person’s self-care agenda. Barriers are not the same for everyone. If asked, I could construct a list of actual barrier categories, in a New York minute, which can include physical, cognitive, or even economic barriers. (Pender et al., 2011). The list can be broken down into sub categories, which would include, but not be limited to, age, mental state, finances, confidence level, support, and motivation. Barriers can impact how well, or not so well, a person engages in self-care activities. Older adults face many potential barriers including; loneliness, depression, mobility issues, and hearing/vision difficulties (Pender et al., 2011).
As a nurse I must be receptive to a patient’s individual needs, abilities, and level of functioning. This will allow me to promote self-care for each individual patient. This means I must work with individuals and communities to eliminate self-care barriers. From experience, this population needs to be informed on how to make knowledgeable decisions on maintaining their independent lifestyle. I begin with tailoring the way I speak to them, volume and rate in particular. My initial goal in patient care is to earn their trust by listening to their concerns, their fears, and their stories. Once I have