Question

Chronic Illness

Behavioral Modification-Process of Change

Nutritional Assessment Interventions

Quality of Life

SMART Goals/Objectives

Teaching Plan (Evaluating Learning Needs, Teaching Plan, and Re-evaluation)

Health Coaching

Share Perspective, Therapeutic Communication strategies with patients and staff (see Module 7, TeamSTEPPS tools)

Answer 1

Answer: A chronic condition is a human health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. The term chronic is often applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three months.

Examples of chronic illnesses are:

• Alzheimer disease and dementia.
• Arthritis.
• Asthma.
• Cancer.
• COPD.

There is help available for people suffering from stress due to chronic illnesses. These include the following:

• Support groups: Support groups are a useful sharing experience. They provide an environment where you can learn new ways of dealing with your illness from other people’s coping strategies. You may want to share your own approaches, too. You will gain strength in knowing that you are not facing hardships alone.
• Individual counseling: Sometimes people have problems that are better addressed in a one-on-one setting. By taking part in individual counseling, you may more effectively express sensitive or private feelings you have about your illness and its impact on your lifestyle and relationships. There is a specific group of trained of mental health providers who have extensive training in coping with chronic illnesses.
• Family and couples counseling: A chronic illness often affects the entire family. It is important to find a family or couples-trained mental health provider, who can help to address this dynamic issue.