Daily routines of elderly people with diabetes

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease suffered by approximately 3% of the adult population. Treatment of the disease may require drug therapy and dietary control. In addition patients’ self-monitoring of the disease, on a daily basis, is fundamental to successful therapy. This paper focuses on the elderly and their monitoring routines. A monitoring regimen which is consistent with patient’s daily routines and places no significant burden either on the patient or their carer must be encouraged. The monitoring equipment used and regimen required should be negotiated with the patient to ensure that compliance with the regimen is adequate to ensure appropriate control of the disease. Practical issues such as the patient’s daily routines, their mental and physical ability, the type of support they receive from formal and informal carers and their general ability to cope with potentially complicated equipment should be addressed alongside the choice of new and more established monitoring equipment.