Promotion of self-care for people with leprosy: educational intervention in the light of Orem’s theory

Promoción del autocuidado en personas con lepra: intervención educativa a luz de teoría de Orem

Objective:  To report the experience of promoting self-care for people with leprosy during educational interventions in the light of Orem’s theory.

Method:  Experience report of an educational intervention. The analysis was carried out in the light of Orem’s theory of nursing systems, in the support-education system.

Results:  The guidelines for self-care took into account actions to prevent nasal dryness; and promote decreased sensitivity, joint swelling, pain and dryness in the hands and feet.

Final considerations:  The educational intervention to promote self-care favored the protagonism of the person with leprosy who started to carry out preventive care with continuity and autonomy.

Keywords:
Leprosy; Self care; Nursing theory; Primary Health Care; Nursing