Diabetes Among Senior Individuals

Running head: DIABETES AMONG SENIOR INDIVIDUALS

DIABETES AMONG SENIOR INDIVIDUALS

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DIABETES AMONG SENIOR INDIVIDUALS

Diabetes is a disease which has affected a lot of elderly population not only in the United

States but the whole world. Despite a reduction in the number of new cases of people affected by

the disease, the number remains high. The elderly are most likely to be affected by Type 2

diabetes. New York State reports the highest number of people with diabetes, approximately

10.0%. The number of diabetic individuals has increased by approximately 6.3% between the

year 2000 and 2014. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that 25% of

people above 65 years are diabetic. A healthy lifestyle among the seniors is essential to living a

longer life if one is suffering from diabetes (Department of Health, 2017).

People who have diabetes have low glucose levels in their blood. This is a severe

condition and can lead to diabetic shock, stroke or myocardial infarction. One in every five

people that is 65 years and above is estimated to be diabetic. 25 percent of the elderly have

bodies that are faced with insulin resistance which is usually caused by sedentary, unhealthy

lifestyle and aging which causes a decline in insulin production by the body. Type -2 diabetes

common among senior individuals is usually influenced by less physical activity and factors

which can either be environmental or genetic. Being overweight is also contributing factor

together with an unhealthy diet. In these cases, the body fails to use insulin well, and as a result,

the level of glucose is elevated chronically. Type-2 diabetes can cause other diseases such as

blindness, damage to the nerves, problems in the circulatory system, heart diseases, stroke and

kidney problems (Department of Health, 2017).

Diabetic people face the problem of financial constraints in order to meet their

medication needs. The annual medication expenditure is about $15000 which most senior

individuals are unable to meet. Fortunately, most senior individuals can get financial assistance

to meet their health care needs. This financial assistance includes insurance cover, free drug

DIABETES AMONG SENIOR INDIVIDUALS

supplies, subsidized costs of medication and assistance on payment of insurance co-payment

together with premiums to be paid monthly. Medicare benefits assist diabetic individuals in

getting medication. The program covers diabetic medication of senior individuals and the supply

of drugs. Medicaid is an insurance program which provides health insurance to individuals who

are low-income earners. The program covers most of the diabetic medications and the supply of

drugs. However, in this program, individuals have minimum flexibility on the type of medicine

they need, the supply and equipment monitoring. Diabetes Care Programs are managed by

manufacturers of diabetic drugs and aids in helping patients with no insurance coverage.

Assistance is given on test strips, kits to monitor glucose levels, equipment for pumping insulin,

devices for lancing as well as drug supplies. These programs are available in websites for

registration and in hospitals where patients can get information on medication assistance (Paying

for Senior Care, 2017).

Several gaps exist in the provision of medication to diabetic individuals. Self- care for

newer treatments is more complex to the senior individuals. As a result, patients frustrated and

feel neglected by those who are to take care of them. Self -care is more complicated to those

suffering from heart diseases and depression. Also, people who have poor vision find it difficult

to measure the correct insulin amount, and some even forget to take medication due to poor

memory. More problems exist to those who have multiple disorders and are forced to contend

with additional diets that they might have been restricted from taking together with medications.

The situation is further complicated by poverty levels since most senior individuals are not

working, literacy and failure to have health insurance (News Medical Life Science, 2018).

These gaps are as a result of barriers which limit Optimal Patient Care. A patient who has

been diagnosed with diabetes does not get diabetic self- care education automatically and thus,

DIABETES AMONG SENIOR INDIVIDUALS

they have little knowledge of how to properly take medication. There has been a problem with

the health care system navigation to help patients work out their medication. Patients are only

given limited time to visit the health care providers, and their education is usually undervalued

by the payors and the health care system. Most patients have low literacy on diabetes health

education since the education is complex and requires a lot of effort for the elderly to understand

(News Medical Life Sciences, 2018).

Surveillance data of very high quality is necessary to bridge these gaps. This is necessary

for senior individuals to identify and state the gaps that they need for their medication to

improve. Systematic and a database that has been validated is essential to identify prevalence

rates of diabetes, complications which are associated with it and mortality rates. Implementation

of this system is necessary to gain information on how to improve health policies and the health

care quality of diabetic individuals (Moinnedin et al., 2012).

Provision of proper primary health care involves both physician and hospital support

within less than 100 km from senior people’s residents and presence of ambulatory care services.

This also requires regular screening of patients so that complications which may emerge as an

opportunistic disease to diabetes can be detected at an early stage and proper medication taken

into account to safeguard the lives of senior diabetic individuals. Diabetic patients require proper

education to be given to diabetic individuals in order for them to learn how to live a healthy

lifestyle by eating proper diets, avoiding smoking and alcohol as well as losing weight. Physical

exercises are as well essential in ensuring a healthy lifestyle and preventing complications.

Diabetic patients require constant care which might involve being assigned to people who will be

responsible for giving them medication and ensuring the right amount of insulin is taken. This

DIABETES AMONG SENIOR INDIVIDUALS

enables proper implementation of self-care health care system to senior individuals who might it

difficult to do this on their own (Stewart & Braden, 2017).

Barriers to bridging these gaps have led low-quality healthcare to diabetic individuals.

Some healthcare facilities are inaccessible to the senior individuals. This is because of healthcare

facilities isolation geographically and the community. These restrictions have led to a non-

existent and a limited primary and preventive healthcare to the senior diabetic individuals. This

has been worsened by poor coordination which exists between the hospitals that have been

funded provincially, specialty health care as well as the federal nursing care. Surveillance which

is limited and non-existent together with low staff turnover in healthcare facilities has resulted in

minimal attention being given to diabetic patients in healthcare facilities (Stewart & Braden,

2017).

Failure to bridge gaps which put the health of senior individuals who are diabetic puts the

lives of patients in danger. Diabetic patients have the risk of suffering from complications which

are diabetes-related which include damage to the blood vessels of the patient both large and

small. These complications have the effect of causing heart problems, stroke, kidney problems,

eye-sight damage and nerves and feet complications.

DIABETES AMONG SENIOR INDIVIDUALS

References

Department of Health (2017). Diabetes and Diabetes Prevention. New York State. Retrieved from

https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/conditions/diabetes

Moineddin, R., Glazier, R., Creatore, M., Manuel, D.,& Booth, G. (2012). Diabetes Screening Among

Immigrants: A population-based urban cohort study. American Diabetes Association.

News Medical Life Sciences (2018). Gaps in diabetes care identified. Retrieved from

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.news-medical.net/amp/news/2018/06/17/26448.aspx

Paying for Senior Care (2017). Financial Assistance for Seniors with Diabetes. Retrieved from

https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/longtermcare/resources/diabetes-assistance-programs.html

Stewart, B.H.,& Braden, T. (2017). Call to action: A new path for improving diabetes care for

indigenous people, a global review. ScienceDirect, vol 123, pages 120-133

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Diabetes among senior individuals

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