Diabetes has become a major health problem in the 21st century and this is something that is majorly blamed on the rise of unhealthy lifestyles that annotated by increased inclination to unhealthy diets (fast foods) and lack of physical activity/exercise (Haas et al., 2013). The risk of developing diabetes increases with aging due to the physiological alterations that accompany the aging process. While genes and aging constitute the pathophysiology of diabetes, unhealthy diets and lack of physical exercise play a major role in increasing the overall risk of predisposition. Elderly people form a unique health group in as far as diabetes is concerned. According to Caspersen et al. (2012), diabetes (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) affect over 10 million elderly (65 years and above) people across the United States. The CDC statistics on diabetes prevalence by age is a confirmation to the huge magnitude and burden of diabetes among elderly people. According to the CDC (2015), the elderly people show the biggest prevalence rate of diabetes with its complications and comorbidities being the leading causes of death among the group (Haas et al., 2013). This makes diabetes a major health issue among this group as it is associated with increased likelihood of developing further complications such as heart disease and stroke-which are among the leading causes of death among this population. On the other hand, diabetes increases the overall cost of care and significantly compromise the quality of life for elderly persons.
It is apparent that diabetes is deeply rooted on the lifestyle aspects and in this regard, this health promotion project pursues to address diabetes through offering patient education. Lifestyle modifications are pretty essential in addressing this issue. Nonetheless, lifestyle modification cannot be effectively undertaken in the absence of proper self-care and self-agency skills (Trento et al., 2010). As healthcare providers, by the virtue of calling and expertise, we have an obligation to intervene in a manner that fosters prevention at different levels; primary, secondary and tertiary. In this regard, as part of nurses’ scope, it is important to help in addressing the problem of diabetes through helping people at risk of the disease as well as those living with the disease to experience positive health outcomes, primarily through providing education to help in dietary modification and up take of physical exercise (Trento et al., 2010).
As such, this health promotion would purposely focus on the elderly persons (aged 65 years and above), with a view to provide education on diabetes and subsequently foster their self-efficacy, self-management and self-monitoring skills. This approach would go a long way in proactively arresting diabetes before its occurrence or preventing its progression to severe levels for the elderly people living with the disease. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2014), the Healthy People 2020 initiative considers diabetes a major area of health concern and among its objectives include; reducing the prevalence of diabetes and reducing mortality associated with diabetes. Among the interventions supported by the Healthy People 2020 initiative as strategies to meeting these objectives include; social and behavioral approaches that are centered on helping persons with achieving optimal diabetes prevention and management through lifestyle modifications. In this connection, this intervention (education on diabetes prevention and management for elderly people) is supported by this health initiative and finds a special position in the country’s 2020 health vision.
References
Caspersen, C. J., Thomas, G. D., Boseman, L. A., Beckles, G. L., & Albright, A. L. (2012). Aging, diabetes, and the public health system in the United States. American journal of public health, 102(8), 1482-1497.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). CDC - Rate per 100 by Age, Race, and Sex - Diagnosed Diabetes - Data & Trends - Diabetes DDT. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/prev/national/fig2004.htm
Haas, L., Maryniuk, M., Beck, J., Cox, C. E., Duker, P., Edwards, L., & McLaughlin, S. (2013). National standards for diabetes self-management education and support. Diabetes care, 36(Supplement 1), S100-S108.
Trento, M., Gamba, S., Gentile, L., Grassi, G., Miselli, V., Morone, G., & Cavallo, F. (2010). Rethink Organization to iMprove Education and Outcomes (ROMEO) A multicenter randomized trial of lifestyle intervention by group care to manage type 2 diabetes. Diabetes care, 33(4), 745-747.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2014). Diabetes | Healthy People 2020. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/diabetes/objectives.
