Orem's Theory of Self Care

Theory of Self Care

Self care – practice of activities that individual initiates and perform on their own behalf in maintaining life ,health and well being

Self care agency – is a human ability which is "the ability for engaging in self care“
Conditioned by age developmental state, life experience sociocultural orientation health and available resources

Therapeutic self care demand – "totality of self care actions to be performed for some duration in order to meet self care requisites by using valid methods and related sets of operations and actions"

Self care requisites-action directed towards provision of self care.

3 categories of self care requisites are:-

-Universal Self Care Requisites

o   Associated with life processes and the maintenance of the integrity of human structure and functioning

o   Common to all , ADL

o   Identifies these requisites as:
· Maintenance of sufficient intake of air ,water, food
· Provision of care assoc with elimination process
· Balance between activity and rest, between solitude and social interaction
· Prevention of hazards to human life well being and
· Promotion of human functioning

-Developmental Self Care Requisites

o   Associated with developmental processes/ derived from a condition…. or associated with an event
· E.g. adjusting to a new job
· adjusting to body changes

-Health deviation Self Care Requisites

o   Required in conditions of illness ,injury, or disease .these include:--

o   Seeking and securing appropriate medical assistance
   o     Being aware of and attending to the effects and results of pathologic conditions
   o     Effectively carrying out medically prescribed measures
   o     Modifying self concepts in accepting oneself as being in a particular state of health and in specific forms of health care
   o     Learning to live with effects of pathologic conditions

Self Care Deficit

•     Specifies when nursing is needed

•     Nursing is required when an adult is incapable or limited in the provision of continuous effective self care

•     Orem identifies 5 methods of helping:--
·           Acting for and doing for others
·           Guiding others
·           Supporting another
·           Providing an environment promoting personal development

      ·           Teaching another

Nursing Systems

•     Describes how the patient’s self care needs will be met by the nurse , the patient, or both

•    ions of nursing system to meet the self care requisites of the patient:-
·      Wholly compensatory system
·      Partly compensatory system
·      Supportive – educative system