Self-care is the ability of individuals to care for and manage health needs and activities of their day with or without the support of a health care provider or other person.

Some common examples of self-care activities include:

• Bathing and maintaining personal hygiene
• Feeding oneself
• Toileting, including bowel and bladder management
• Performing household chores
• Managing personal finances
• Using transportation, the telephone and going shopping
• Taking part in community and social activities
• Taking medications and managing basic health needs

A person’s ability to perform self-care activities is linked to personal and environmental factors. Personal factors refer to a person’s health (including their body structures and functions, age and health conditions), their attitudes, motivation and culture. Environmental factors include the built environment, social environment, and assistive products.

The diagram below illustrates these factors.

Personal factors

When a person’s body functions are working well, and when they are motivated to perform self- care activities, they can engage more actively. Examples of personal factors that can influence a person’s ability to perform self-care may include:

• Their body functions (eg. mobility; strength, and joint movement; cognition; ability to see)

  When the body’s muscles are strong and their joints are able to move freely, a person is more likely to be able to manage tasks required for self-care. For example, it requires strength, mobility and coordination to reach for and grip a cup, or transfer from one place to another, such as getting on and off the toilet or in and out of a car.

  A person’s memory, attention, and concentration, as well as how they problem solve and judge risks influence how they learn and perform self-care activities. For example, a person’s memory impacts how they remember their medications and appointments, and attention and concentration are particularly important when driving or preparing meals.

  A person’s vision influences how they access and navigate their environment, how they identify items, and recognize people.

• Their health conditions

  The health condition a person has can significantly impact their ability to engage in self-care activities. Examples of health conditions shown to impact self-care activities are:

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Stroke
  • Lower limb amputation
  • Fractures / trauma-related injuries
  • Diabetes
  • Ischemic heart disease
  • Low back pain
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Limitations in functioning associated with old age

• Their confidence in their abilities

  A person’s belief in what their strengths and limitations are can influence how willing or nervous they are to participate in self-care activities, and how much support they seek. For example, someone who believes that they can learn, or re-learn self-care activities might more enthusiastically participate in rehabilitation, while someone who doubts their abilities may be apprehensive. On the other hand, if a person believes they are more capable than they are, they may take risks, fail to seek help, and harm themselves.

Environmental factors

The physical and social environment in which a person lives, and what assistive products they have access to, can have a big impact on how they perform self-care activities. Examples of environmental factors that can influence a person’s ability to perform self-care may include:

• Their home environment

  The accessibility of a person’s home, such as whether there are stairs, clutter, or narrow doorways can influence how safely and independently a person can move around and perform self-care. For example, if they have a large bath that they must step into, with nothing to hold onto for support or sit on, they may be unable to bath themselves, or be at a high risk of falls.

• Their transportation

  How a person gets around in the community can greatly impact their participation in leisure, education, and work activities. For example, if somebody with limited physical mobility used to rely on walking or cycling, they may find their movement restricted and themselves socially isolated.

• Their family and community

  Social supports can heavily influence a person’s ability to remain at home and participate in the activities they enjoy. For example, if a family member or friend can assist them with bathing and dressing, or preparing meals, they are less likely to need to move into a long-term care facility. Similarly, if community organizations are willing to make accommodations for the person’s needs, they are more likely to be able to continue to participate.

• Their assistive products

  Assistive products, whether high-tech or very basic, can greatly influence a person’s ability to perform self-care. For example, a simple product such as a stick with a hook on the end may allow a person to dress more independently, while a bath board and grab bar may allow a person to transfer safely into the bath and wash themselves independently.