Diabetes Care: A Person/Family-Centered and Holistic Approach

Diabetes Care 1
DIABETES CARE
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Diabetes Care 2
Introduction
Person-centered care is where the caregivers allow the client to assume an active role in
their medical treatment (Entwistle, and Watt, 2013). However, family-centered care is when the
caregivers involve the relatives of the patient in decision-making towards the health and well-
being of the patient (Rose et al., 2017). Person-centered care and Family-centered care coexist
and depend on one another for holistic function. The case scenario presents a 32-year-old Afro-
Caribbean woman who has type 2 diabetes mellitus. Anne Baptiste is showing non-proliferative
diabetic retinopathy signs. The diabetic condition has made the patient experience
microaneurysms. Additionally, Anne complains about blurred vision in her right and left the eye.
The patient also suffers from bilateral neovascularisation. The diabetic interference with visual
acuity prevents the client from performing her work-related duties. She is unable to read the
dentist notes at work. This essay will critically appraise an article that discusses care towards
diabetes. It will also apply the Dahlgren and Whitehead model to suggest solutions to Anne's
situation.
Critical Appraisal of the Article
According to Aveyard, Sharp, and Woolliams (2011), the six questions for critical
thinking are where, what, how, who, when, and why. The article is assessed through a systematic
research. The researcher, Jean Maydalyne Gumbs found out that, African-American women with
diabetes mellitus do not embrace self-care behaviors and self-management education. Gumbs,
(2012), arrived at the conclusion after a conclusive research. Jean Gumbs, who is a PhD
graduate, wrote the article in the year 2012. The author wrote the article to enlighten the diabetic
African-American women about the essence of self-care behaviors and self-management
education.

Diabetes Care 3
Person/Family-Centered and Holistic Approach
One of the individual factors in the Dahlgren and Whitehead Model is diet. Therefore, the
first approach of decreasing the severity of diabetes is to ensure that the patient takes a healthy
diet (Gumbs, 2012). The family should seek the help of an experienced dietitian to suggest the
appropriate meals to the patient. The foods consumed by diabetic patients should maintain the
level of blood sugar at the acceptable limits. The diet should also achieve a lipoprotein and a
lipid profile that decreases the chances of getting vascular complications. In the case scenario,
Anne admits that she is struggling to maintain the diet recommended by her dietitian. A key
nutritional recommendation for diabetic patients involves adjusting the doses of insulin to match
the intake of carbohydrates. The patient should also ensure that she maintains the level of
carbohydrate intake on a daily basis. Excessive carbohydrate intake worsens the symptoms of the
complication insulin resistance. The client should increase her fiber intake and limit taking meals
having trans-fats. Taking fatty foods can lead to obesity which is a risk factor for diabetes
(Micha et al., 2017). The family members should monitor Anne to ensure that she lowers both
sodium and cholesterol intakes per day. On the other hand, the patient should increase her
consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and lean meats which lower the symptoms of
diabetes.
According to the model by Dahlgren and Whitehead (2006), a sedentary lifestyle is a risk
factor for complications like diabetes. Therefore, Ann should conduct a regular physical exercise
to reduce the severity of complications like blurred vision. Physical activity controls diabetes and
maintains the levels of blood sugar at acceptable limits (Hansen et al., 2018). Furthermore,
managing the amounts of blood glucose prevent long-term complications like kidney diseases