Care for Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Care for Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Care for Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Introduction

Diabetes mellitus is one of the prevailing diseases affecting a large population globally. It is a metabolic disorder, which if untreated, develops life threatening complications. Unfortunately, the care homes for the community in the United Kingdom are the most targeted sites of mistreatment and lack of diabetic care.

Discussion

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by marked hyperglycemia. The condition results due to

Resistance to insulin action

Insufficient insulin secretion

Excessive secretion of glucagon

There is a deficiency in the pancreatic insulin secretion. However, the insulin producing cells, the beta cells of the pancreas, are still present and not damaged. This decreased insulin leads to an increased level of blood glucose. Complications in the condition can lead to damage of the pancreatic beta cells which further exacerbates the condition (NICE, 2011).

This type of diabetes mellitus does not depend on artificial insulin supplementation. It is also known as Non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).

Type 2 Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder. It cannot be accurately estimated that in which individual it might occur, but there are several risk factors that increase the chances for the occurrence of the disorder. These includes

Obesity

High blood pressure

High uncontrolled cholesterol level

Having a close relative or family member with type2 diabetes mellitus

Age

History of gestational diabetes

Amongst the above mentioned risk factors, obesity and age are the principal risks that make the individual more vulnerable to the disease.

Type 2 Diabetes mellitus in the community

Problems faced by the community

Diabetes mellitus is a very common disorder present in patients of community settings. With the increase in the graph of patients, there has been an increase in the demands of proper care, exercise, diet control, and the intensive medication control. Taking these problems in consideration, there has been an increased focus on the self education programs (PDE), continuing nurse education programs, public health management and awareness programs and vice versa. Even after taking so many measures, the health of the diabetic patients in the community setting is still an unresolved problem. These patients have been suffering from a severe lack of care and proper management of the syndrome, resulting in degrading health conditions and occurrence of other secondary diseases.

The Health Care Settings

The health care homes and hospitals are majorly deprived of delivering adequate care to the diabetic patients. According to research, the current population in UK suffering from diabetes mellitus is 45000. This population will increase up to 1,120,000 in next fifty years. The increase in this population will eventually increase the health care cost on these diabetic patients from £13 billion to £55billion. The reason behind this increase is the inadequacy and the poor efficiency of the health care settings.

Barriers in the Health Care Settings

There have been estimated a number of barriers in the health care settings that prevent the patients suffering with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in the way they should be. These barriers include following (Task and Finish Group, 2010): ...