Managing Diabetes in Older Adults: Enhancing Glucometer Use and Self-Efficacy

Running head: GLUCOMETER USE SLEF-EFFICACY
GLUCOMETER USE SLEF-EFFICACY
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1GLUCOMETER USE SLEF-EFFICACY
Prevalence of the issue and the target audience:
Diagnosed as well as undiagnosed diabetes have already affected 10.9 million US adults
who are aged 65 years and older. Almost 8 in 10 individuals have been found to suffer from
some form of dysglycemia which had been found from the diagnostic tests like fasting glucose or
hemoglobin A1c. Evidences are of the opinion that among this age group, diagnosed diabetes is
believed to reach about 26.7 million by the year 2050 where it would account for about 555 of all
the diagnosed cases (Sinclair et al. 2015). The American diabetes association had already stated
that 255 of the Americans who are over the age of 60 have diabetes and they have concluded that
aging of the US population is one of the main drivers of the epidemic of diabetes in the nation.
Not only, it had resulted in the increase of health burden in the nation but it had also affected the
longevity, functional status as well as the risk of institutionalization for the older patients. Hence,
it had become one of the most important concerns to educate the older people to manage their
diabetes in proper manner so that they can have better quality life.
Need of the intervention:
One of the most important issues that had been found is the inability as well as lack of
motivation of the older people to use the glucometer in effective ways. Studies are of the opinion
that in order to manage the blood glucose level of individuals with diabetes, it is essential for
them to self-test their blood sugar level in timely manner. This helps individuals to develop an
idea that whether their blood glucose level is within a safer zone or posing a threat on their health
(Ledezma et al. 2018). Not only that, it also helps them in noting down their blood glucose level
on a daily basis and ultimately helps the professionals in gaining idea about the health condition