Empowerment gives power to people with diabetes. That’s because education has long been the backbone of diabetes self-care management. To keep people on the right track, it’s important to understand that managing diabetes is a complex process.
Diabetes is a multifaceted disease. There are plenty of factors that can interfere with consistent blood sugar management. These include diet, medication, disease, stress, exercise, hormones, pain, and dehydration.
With basic diabetes education, people can work on their self-management strategies. They can find the right ways to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, balance cholesterol, and blood pressure, and increase insulin production.
Here, you can learn more about the ways to empower diabetic patients. Including tools for diabetes self-management.
Quick Facts
Survey of 2,722 people shows that 42% of type 2 diabetic patients don’t feel confident enough in managing their condition.
People who receive diabetes education are more likely to use the right preventive services and primary care.
Diabetes education and self-management training play a key role in managing the condition.
The goal of empowering diabetes patients is to inspire self-care.
Empowerment and Self-Management of Diabetes
Empowering patients with diabetes starts by encouraging people to take charge of their self-management care. Diabetic patients should consult with a healthcare expert. They should also proactively work on stabilizing their glucose levels.
By learning about diabetes, patients can find the right diet, medication, and blood glucose monitoring tools. A doctor can help diabetic patients decrease the risk or delay the onset of diabetes-related complications. These can include problems with feet, teeth, kidney disease, heart disease, etc.
It’s vital to empower people to see a specialist so they can find the right ways to cope with the emotional side of diabetes. Research shows that around one-third of people with diabetes have a mental or social problem. These problems get in the way of their self-management strategies.
Addressing the psychological, emotional, and physical barriers to good blood sugar control can help decrease the burden of diabetes.
Diabetic patients are empowered when they have the necessary attitudes, skills, knowledge, and self-awareness to influence their behavior. When they look for ways to boost their quality of life, having the right information can be empowering. Here is how to empower people.
What Is a Good Attitude for Managing Diabetes?
To empower people with diabetes, it is important to help them cope with stress. Including depression, negative emotions, and other mental stressors. Based on reports, having a positive attitude towards diabetes management is highly beneficial.
But having support from family and friends is even more important. When family or friends help, diabetes becomes easier to manage and cope with. A positive mindset can help people make better lifestyle choices with minimal effort.
It decreases stress, which in turn, helps with sleep, concentration, and focus. Whereas negative attitudes, such as anxiety, fear, or anger can have the opposite effect. They can increase blood sugar levels and make it harder for people to sleep.
What Skills Help With Diabetes Control?
Many self-care skills are useful for people with diabetes. That includes:
– Making healthier food choices
– Monitoring blood glucose levels
– Taking the right medications
– Practicing risk-reduction behaviors
– Developing problem-solving skills
– Using healthy coping skills
For diabetic patients, healthy eating is detrimental to good overall health, and stable lipid and glucose levels. They need to do regular blood glucose self-testing and be aware of how their body reacts to the foods they eat.
People need to take the right prescription medication and practice risk-reduction behaviors. That includes taking part in diabetes support programs, self-management education, type 2 diabetes prevention, health screening, etc.
Problem-solving skills can help mitigate the complexities of diabetes. This can help them come up with a clear action plan to address any problem. While learning different coping skills can help ease the anxiety and fear that often come with the disease.
What Knowledge Can Be Useful for Diabetes Management?
Knowledge about glycemic control is fundamental for helping people manage their diabetes. Understanding the risks of high blood sugar levels can motivate patients to get proper care and treatment.
Controlling hyperglycemia in diabetic patients can decrease or prevent diabetic complications. So, it is important to help patients learn how to read measurements. Such as the measures of their blood sugar before meals and at bedtime.
People should also learn more about giving and taking insulin injections and other diabetes medications. They should know how to check their blood pressure. Doctors often emphasize the importance of health problems diabetic patients can be prone to.
These can include problems with the feet, retinopathy (eye problems), neuropathy (nerve damage), nephropathy (kidney damage), and others.
How to Boost Self-Awareness for Diabetes Control?
There are different ways to improve self-awareness for diabetes. Such as:
- Using social media to educate people
- Finding a diabetes support group
- Joining a fundraiser for diabetes research, education, and advocacy
- Taking part in local diabetes-related events
Can Digital Tools Empower People With Diabetes?
Digital tools for diabetes self-management are game changers in diabetes control, research, and prevention. They can help empower people. The tools can also enhance the patient’s quality of life and overall health. Some of these tools include:
- continuous blood glucose monitors
- smart insulin pens
- automated insulin pumps
- virtual tools
These tools are meant to boost health outcomes by coaching people with or without diabetes. Depending on the tool you use, they can support weight control, healthy nutrition, remote monitoring, result interpretation, and more.
Because of the wide range of tools available on the market, diabetic patients should talk to a specialist before using them.
Conclusion
Anyone can struggle with a health problem. But, lacking the right education and preparation can have a detrimental impact. Especially when dealing with a serious health condition like diabetes. That’s where empowerment can help.
Empowerment enables diabetic patients, their friends, and family to live life with diabetes to the fullest. Although diabetes is a complex condition, there are ways people can use the information to empower diabetic patients. With the right knowledge, skills, awareness, and digital tools, empowerment can set people up for success.