Person-Centered Diabetes Management - Term Paper Example

Name: Tutor: Title: Person-Centered Diabetes Management Institution: Date: Introduction Diabetes management is a lifetime task as the illness is progressive. Diabetes is a persistent disease that affects the ability of the body to generate or effectively use insulin or both. Type 1 diabetes is when the body is not able to generate insulin while type 2 diabetes occurs when the body is not responding to insulin effects. The aims of management of diabetes are to maintain normal levels of blood sugar, blood cholesterol and lipid; manage blood pressure; and prevent the growth of problems that are related to diabetes (Ella, 2011). In productively controlling diabetes, compliance to medications which are prescribed is essential, in order to regulate the levels of blood glucose. However, compliance with medications has turned out to be an issue in various diabetic patients. Important concepts in diabetes management There are various models that are frequently implemented synonymously in the nursing literature in order to promote effective care of patients. These are: Self-care concept: This refers to personal responsibilities for healthy lifestyle activities needed for human growth and functioning as well as those deeds needed dealing with health issues. Richard & Shea (2011), highlight that self-care recommends that people use their resources, which entails individual qualities like skills, determination, positive attitude, knowledge, optimism, and courage, to advance poor health. This will assist nurses to guide patients through a healthy lifestyle when they have a positive attitude towards promotion of health. Self-management: In the care of health, this refers to the person’s ability to deal with symptoms, treatment, bodily and psychosocial outcomes and the inherent changes in lifestyle in coping with a chronic illness. Effective self-management entails ability to examine personal condition and to attain the cognitive, emotional and behavioral reactions essential to uphold an acceptable quality of life. Through personal examination, a nurse will therefore have a complete understanding regarding the patient’s health and thereby able to give the appropriate counseling or medication. Symptom management: The objective of symptom management in nursing care is to prevent or treat the symptoms of an illness, side effects brought about by the treatment, and social issues as soon as possible (Richard & Shea, 2011). With personal knowledge regarding management of symptom, one is able to know when he or she is supposed to seek advice from the nurse concerning the presented symptoms. Nurses illustrate the importance of prevention and treatment of symptoms to their clients. When nurses explain these concepts to the patients, they will have a clear understanding regarding their health and what they need to do when symptoms or illness presents. Nurses need to explain to their patients the importance of these concepts so that patients with diabetes can effectively practice self-care management which in turn is a positive outcome in nursing care. Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) as a way of diabetes management For patients with diabetes, self-monitoring of levels of blood glucose is an essential element of modern therapy. Blood glucose self-monitoring has been suggested for health care experts and people with diabetes so as to achieve a particular level of control of glycemia and hypoglycemia prevention. The objective of SMBG is to gather detailed information regarding levels of blood glucose at several time points to ensure maintenance of a more steady level of glucose by more accurate regimes (Meetoo et al. 2011). It can be executed to assist in the adjustment of a regime that is therapeutic in reaction to the values of blood glucose and to assist people regulate their dietary intake, bodily activity, and doses of insulin to enhance glycemic control on a daily basis. In diabetes control, SMBG can assist by: Facilitating the invention of a personalized profile of blood glucose, which can consequently direct health care experts in treatment planning for a personalized diabetic management; Giving diabetic people and their kin the capacity to make effective daily treatment preferences in diet and bodily activity and also in insulin; Improving recognition of patient regarding severe hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia; and Enhancing education of patient and empowerment of patient concerning the outcomes of lifestyle and pharmaceutical involvement on glycemic management (Meetoo et al. 2011). Patient education in diabetes management Patient education is a significant feature of optimal diabetes management. Patient education is needed for both type-1 and type-2 diabetes. The patient needs to have a common knowledge of diabetes, exercise, nutrition, adherence to diabetes, care of diabetes in the course of illness, devotion to medications, changes in lifestyle, and blood glucose self-monitoring (Hayes, et al. 2008). According to Atak, et al. (2008), patient education is vital for diabetic patients for enhancing compliance to the regime of treatment and assisting the patient to acknowledge that he or she needs to take the accountability for their own care. Patient education on diabetes is not a once education system, instead it is a continuous procedure, which needs to involve regular communication with the diabetic people for support of the features which the patient learns. The aim of education diabetic patients is to enhance their personal self-efficacy and their ability of self-management, since diabetes is a complex disorder of metabolism which ultimately the patient needs to know its management (Atak, et al. 2008). Encouraging health literacy in diabetic patients is very important. This is because the patients will be able to manage their lifestyle regarding the illness. The possibility of medication compliance is highly increased when the patients are informed about their health condition, proper management and effects of poor management (Ella, 2011). Patient empowerment in diabetes management Empowerment is a collaborative method that is patient-centered. It is tailored to go with the essential truths of diabetes care. Empowerment of patient helps the patient to realize and develop the inborn ability to be liable for personal life (Funnel & Weiss, 2008). Embracing this attitude requires that professionals of health care practice in ways that are dependable with this method. The responsibility of patients is to be active partners who are well-informed or partners in their own care. While education on diabetes has been revealed to be helpful for enhancing metabolic and psychosocial results and is a significant initial step for empowerment and self-management, a one-time educational curriculum is seldom effectual to maintain the kinds of behavioral alteration required for a life span of diabetes self-care (Funnel & Weiss, 2008). Self-management by older people with diabetes Research by various scholars has revealed that self-management is compromised when older people live alone in a rural surrounding without friends, community, neighbors, and family who could offer physical and emotional support. Enhanced social support is positively linked to improved self-management of the illness (George & Thomas, 2010). Older people who are not in position to access social assistance reveal a poor self-management to diabetes regime. These people are always frightened that they might die alone at night. Effects of poorly managed diabetes Poorly managed diabetes can result to several serious long-term problems, like kidney failure, blindness, thyroid problems, nerve damage among others. Additionally, there are severe acute problems linked with diabetes. Extreme hypoglycemia, or reduced amount of sugar in the blood, can lead to lose of consciousness in the patient and if not managed immediately can lead to death (Brown & Edwards, 2007). Then again, hyperglycemia, or elevated levels of blood glucose, can result to a life-threatening sickness named ketoacidosis, in which sugar appears in urine. Ketoacidosis is manageable, but instant medical care is required. As with whichever chronic sickness, management of diabetes takes an immense toll on the kin, both psychologically and financially. In severe cases of diabetes, the effects can be fatal. Therefore, nurses helping patients with diabetes to personally control blood glucose test and injection of insulin is of great significance for their healthcare. Roles of health care professionals in person-centered diabetes management The task of health care experts is to assist patients with diabetes make knowledgeable choices to attain their objectives and conquer barriers via education, correct care recommendations, professional advice, and support. Professionals should quit feeling accountable for their patients and become accountable to them. The health care providers need to ascertain a partnership with patients and their kin to develop goals that are collaborative (Cooper, 2008). In self-managing diabetes, nurses should provide information regarding change of behavior and strategies of problem-solving (Zoffmann & Kirkevold, 2005). It is also important that nurses help diabetic patients in solving issues and conquering barriers to self-management. They should support and assist patients in their responsibility as decision makers in self-management. Conclusion As discussed above, diabetes is a lifetime disease. It is also highlighted that diabetes can be a life-threatening illness is not properly managed. Therefore, quality management is vital in management of diabetes. One of the management is person-centered management whereby the patient is fully responsible for their own health. This is achieved through various mechanisms. The concepts illustrated above are very important in personal management of diabetes. It is important that a person takes charge of their own health. Self-monitoring of blood glucose levels also plays a significant role in management of diabetes. Patient empowerment and education are as well important since the patient needs to learn everything regarding diabetes. Social support is important in producing effective results of self-management. It is also stated that the devastating effects of poorly managed diabetes can be fatal. The health care providers have a great role in assisting patients to manage diabetes. Bibliography Atak, N et al. 2008, The effect of education on knowledge, self management behaviors and self efficacy of patients with type 2 diabetes, Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, Vol. 26, Issue 2, pp 66-74. Brown & Edwards, 2007, Medical-surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems, Australia: Elsevier Australia. Cooper, H, 2008, A trial of empowerment-based education in type 2 diabetes-global rather than glycaemic benefits, Diabetes Research & Clinical Practice, Vol. 82, Issue 2, pp 165-71. Ella, S, 2011, Promoting health literacy in patients with diabetes, Nursing Standard, Vol. 26, Issue 8, pp 35-40. Funnel, M.,M & Weiss M A, 2008, Patient empowerment: the LIFE approach, European Diabetes Nursing, Vol. 5, Issue 2, pp 75-78. George S.R. & Thomas S, 2010, Lived experience of diabetes among older, rural people. Journal of Advanced Nursing, Vol. 66, Issue 5, pp 1092–1100. Hayes, E et al., 2008, Alliance not compliance: Coaching strategies to improve type 2 diabetes outcomes, Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Vol. 20, Issue 3, pp 155-162. Meetoo et al., 2011, Assessing glycaemic control: self-monitoring of blood glucose, British journal of nursing, Vol. 20, Issue 15 pp 919-924 Richard, A., A. & Shea K, 2011, Delineation of self-care and Associated Concepts, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Vol. 43, Issue 3, pp 255-264. Zoffmann, V. & Kirkevold M, 2005, Life Versus Disease in Difficult Diabetes Care: Conflicting Perspectives Disempower Patients and Professionals in Problem Solving, Qualitative Health Research, Vol. 15, Issue 6, pp 750-765. Read More