Self-care is the idea that individuals should have the ability to take control over their own care. Any care services provided should be personalised to the individual, and help them to recognise that they are the ones best placed to understand their own needs and how to meet them. You can find the various principles of self-care here.
It is important to enable and encourage individuals to learn to develop skills in self-care as it will help them take control and decide what is best for their care. Part of this involves encouraging the individual to maintain their own network of friends within the community. Whatever the circumstances of their care, maintaining their social life is vital for continuing to lead a healthy and fulfilling life.
Therefore, you should make sure that any individuals you care for are aware of the importance of this. There is only so much you can do to directly help an individual. Eventually they will have to take an active part in their care for it to be truly effective, which is why self-care is so important. You should do your best to care for an individual, but also encourage them to take responsibility for their own care, health and well-being.