Systemic autoimmune illnesses, including lupus, scleroderma, Sjögren’s and Raynaud’s, have a wide number of symptoms that can range from mild to severe. Symptoms vary across diseases and also within diseases. Autoimmune diseases are complex, multifaceted and difficult to diagnose, manage and understand. All are chronic in nature and can significantly impact on an individual’s general health, mental health and quality of life. Many Autoimmune disease patients, due to illness symptoms and consequent long term organ damage, experience a reduced life potential. ARRC helps people to understand their disease and symptoms, and supports patients to make positive active changes to improve their health and life management. Self-management has been shown to reduce hospitalisations and direct health interventions as well as reduce frequency and severity of symptom exacerbations.
Education programs that focus on companion self-management of symptoms with practical and affordable strategies reduce illness discomfort and allow the individual to reclaim control of their life. Many impacts are a direct result of inadequate or non-existent explanation of symptoms, disease processes and importantly strategies that can be undertaken to support wellbeing in the autoimmune patient. ARRC provide services that support people living with these diseases to live a full life with illness, accommodating and managing symptoms, and learning self-management techniques that ease disease burden leading to improved overall health, quality of life and life potential.