Personal experience with self-care training in different settings

Abstract

This is a personal account of my experience with training, care and self-care practices within Neglected Tropical Diseases and other diseases and health conditions. Forty plus years of experience, led to the development of The Ten Steps: A guide for health promotion and empowerment of people affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases. Successful NTD disease control programs not only control the disease within a population but ensure that a person-centered continuum of care is developed. Prioritizing the teaching of self-care and involving the person, the family and caregiver in care is critical to sustaining care at home. Briefly, some important lessons are shared about training, identifying, and treating problems early and the importance of the participation of the person affected, their family and caregiver in care. The biggest surprises to health workers were how much improvement can be achieved through very simple interventions, and the positive results of involving the person affected.