What are Long-Term Conditions

What is the definition of a long term health condition?

A Long Term Physical Health Condition (also known as a Chronic Condition) is a health problem that requires ongoing management over a period of years or decades and is one that cannot currently be cured but can be controlled with the use of medication and or therapies.
Examples of long-term conditions include stroke, arthritis, sciatica, hip or knee replacements and patients with low levels of mobility and function and some mental health conditions.

The prevalence of long‑term conditions is strongly linked to ageing. Prevention, delaying the onset and slowing the progression of long‑term conditions are all important outcomes for older people. Other important outcomes include quality of life and independence, choice, dignity and control.

Despite recent policy focusing on integrated health and social care services, LTC patients are still being treated as a collection of conditions or symptoms, rather than as people

People with multiple long‑term conditions want joined‑up, coordinated services that address their concerns but often find they are hard to access and fragmented.

Ex-patients, NHS patients who have exhausted their permitted treatment time, for example 6 weeks of physiotherapy after an operation or injury may do well to consider hydrotherapy as part of their recovery regime.

Clients with long-term conditions, discharged from NHS therapies and have no treatment schedule may benefit from hydrotherapy sessions.

Patients who maybe back on the waiting list or return to hospital if it wasn’t for their commitment to keep fit and well often get great satisfaction from hydrotherapy sessions.

Patients with long-term conditions and chronic illnesses are often left to manage their condition once their NHS treatment has ceased, pain and discomfort frequently leads to patients taking painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication. Inevitably, these types of drugs have side-effect and can be addictive.

With GP intervention, patients needing help to reduce the number of daily tablets and therefore reduce medication dependency, as well as social isolation, re-hospitalisation and depression are often advised to seek alternate treatments such as hydrotherapy as part of a rehabilitation program.

Hydrotherapy can also be a great preparation for scheduled operations.

Research by the Croydon Long-Term Conditions Community Outreach team shows that 23% of Croydon residents live with two or more Long-Term Conditions. When left untreated these conditions can lead to complications and hospitalisation, highlighting the importance of providing support within the community (Posted Wednesday, 23 March 2022 by Olutunji Ebun-Cole).

Long term conditions are physical health conditions that require ongoing management over a period of years. We can help people with long-term conditions by providing treatment solutions and rehabilitation programs.