Diabetes y ¿discapacidad?

Abstract

The number of people living with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) has increased considerably in recent years. The DM for their chronic impacts the physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual and social aspects of the life of the person suffering, implying in turn a number of impacts on social and family interactions generating different meanings for people living with it. Objective: To understand the meanings attributed to a group of disabled adults living with retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy. Methodology: Interpretative qualitative approach with biographical narrative approach favoring life stories. Participants: 10 people selected by purposive sampling. Information gathered through in-depth interviews; the method of content analysis was used. Results: The meanings realized three broad categories: (a) The experiences of dependency; (b) the capacity, that works both as to achieve something, and live the kind of life they consider important and valuable, and (c) the reciprocal relationships, established with their environment, which emerges care experience as a close and direct relationship between two or more people, deeply emotional, pragmatic and practical that affects both the person receiving care and those who provide it. Conclusions: The experience of disability is unique to each individual, taking a meaning according to personal characteristics, age, type of disease, how to interact with the environment and the interactions that take place in this process.