Vulnerable Populations Final Project- Diabetics

RUNNING HEADER: Diabetic People A Proposed Plan 2

Chronically Ill: Diabetic People & A Proposed Plan

Altonice Cox

HCA430: Special Populations

Instructor: Lynne Trevisan

October 3, 2017

Introduction

Diabetes is a highly chronic illness which is caused by increased blood glucose levels which damage the body organs of an individual. If left untreated, the possible complications include damage to blood vessels (Holt, Cockram, Flyvbjerg, & Goldstein, 2017). Diabetes can lead to a heart attack and also issues with the problems, feet, eyes, and nerves. The chosen vulnerable population is for chronically ill individuals that have diabetes. In my community, essential services that are needed for these people include efficient home health care and also diabetes education. Some of these patients are usually released from hospitals and rehabilitation centers (Dunning, 2013). Most of the individuals are having issues with finding qualified home health care nurses which is essential for such people especially those that are released from these institutions early in the course of their illness.

People with diabetes need diabetes education which is an indispensable element in the management of the condition since diabetes, requires daily knowledge of issues such as nutrition, monitoring, excise and medication. Diabetes education makes those affected more aware of their illness, what it takes to treat it and also provides them with the power to control it (Unger, 2013).

Factors that impact vulnerability

One of the factors that impact vulnerability is age. The Center for Disease and Control indicated that in 2012, more than twenty-one million were diagnosed with diabetes. Ninety to ninety-five percent of most of these cases was indults which involved Type 2 diabetes. Previously Type 2 diabetes was most common in older adults (Holt, Cockram, Flyvbjerg, & Goldstein, 2017). However, due to widespread poor lifestyle habits, this has become more prevalent in younger people than ever before.

Another factor is gender. In Type 2 diabetes, high blood glucose is caused by insulin resistance which is a condition where the body of the individual does not use insulin efficiently. Research has indicated that middle-aged men are at a higher risk of developing diabetes than their female counterparts (Unger, 2013). This is because most men have to gain less weight compared to women that develop this condition. It is therefore clear that men are at a higher risk for diabetes.

Analysis of the intersection of social, political and economic factors

Social factors

Collectively, lifestyle factors are associated with the development of diabetes on individuals. These include lack of exercise whereby a person with a highly sedentary lifestyle is at a risk of developing type 2 diabetes (Dunning, 2013). Also, when the person has unhealthy meal planning choices, this can be a contributing factor to their development of the illness. This is because a person that constantly has a meal plan that is filled with high-fat foods and lacking in fiber is highly likely to develop diabetes. Also, overweight individuals with poor meal planning and poor exercise regiments are even more likely to develop the disease (Leigh, 2013).

Being overweight make it more likely that the person will become insulin resistant and this can also be a contributing factor to even more severe health conditions apart from diabetes. However, when such an individual considers more healthy diets, daily exercises and also constantly watching their weight gain, this can all be essential in ensuring that the person may have a lower risk of developing the illness (Holt, Cockram, Flyvbjerg, & Goldstein, 2017).

Legislation on Diabetes

The Preventing Diabetes in Medicare Act assists beneficiaries diagnosed with pre-diabetes to avoid becoming diabetic through the provision of access to the best possible nutritional advice on the best ways to handle their condition (DeGette, 2017).

The National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act refers to a law that creates a time-limited commission for the improvement of the implementation and coordination of clinical care for patients with diabetes, pre-diabetes and also chronic conditions resulting from diabetes such as kidney disease and cardiovascular illnesses

The Eliminating Disparities in Diabetes Prevention, Access, and Care Act will enhance the research at National Institutes of Health concerning the causes and outcomes diabetes in minority communities (DeGette, 2017). This bill in conjunction with the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention will also provide more efficient diabetes treatment and public education to highly impacted populations.

Economic impact of diabetes

The adverse economic impact of diabetes on output, revenue, profitability and also business performance are substantial. Diabetes can lead to increased absenteeism and also a reduction in productivity of affected employees to work (Leigh, 2013). This affects the economy since such individuals are not continuing to the economic stability of the country. Also, failure to prevent diabetes leads to people with diabetes and their families spending additional income on medications and treatments which could have been used towards economic development if effective diabetic preventive and control measures are established.

Proposed program description

The program will involve Home care services for the diabetic patient. The focus on the program will be fostering the wellbeing of these individual affected through reduction of the number (Dunning, 2013). It will also concentrate on the frequency of hospital admissions and visits to the emergency department and also diminish complications and associated risk factors for diabetes.

The continuum of care for the entire program will involve the provision of care in the patients’ home. This will provide the dedicated medical professionals an essential perspective in the best ways for treating these individuals and also the current state of their supportive systems outside of health care institutions (Rosa, Lapides, Hayden, & Santangelo, 2014). This will also provide an excellent framework for emphasizing on diabetic management.

The development of people with diabetes specified home care disease management program was developed in 2011 and has taken two years to complete in the United States. It was implemented initially in numerous home health care agencies under the umbrella of a huge hoe care network. These home health agencies are inclusive of certified home health agencies which are licensed institutions and also an infusion of home care (Rosa, Lapides, Hayden, & Santangelo, 2014). The Home Care Network is part of a non-profit healthcare system serving more than seven million people. Initially, a diabetic taskforce was created to prevent avoidable hospitalizations and provide quality care to the increasing population that needed diabetes associated home healthcare services.

The risk factors associated with people with diabetes include issues in selecting high-quality diets, lack of a clear comprehension on nutrition and also lack of affordable medications for some low-income families (Leigh, 2013). With the introduction of high-technology care, the program will have the ability to provide continuous treatment to patients within the home healthcare settings. The people with diabetes will be provided with complete access to diabetes education which will enable them to become more aware of the treatment procedures which can assist in the management of the illness.

Conclusion

It is clear that diabetes is a severe disease and when left untreated, it can cause serious complications to the individual. Through the home health care program, the patient can still receive quality health care and also efficient management strategies on their illness (Dunning, 2013).

References

DeGette, D. (2017).Congressional Caucus on DIABETES. Legislation. Retrieved from: