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- Title
Caring for older adults with diabetes mellitus: characteristics of carers and their prime roles and responsibilities.
- Authors
Sinclair, A. J.; Armes, D. G.; Randhawa, G.; Bayer, A. J.
- Abstract
Diabet. Med. 27, 1055–1059 (2010) Aims Expanding prevalence of diabetes has a major health impact on older people and the burden experienced by their informal carers. We report research which aimed to examine the burden on carers and highlight their input into diabetes care. Methods Of 98 diabetes patients aged over 59 years, 89 regularly received help with day-to-day activities or looking after from someone else and, of these, 83 carers consented to interview. Patients and carers were administered questionnaires related to the management of diabetes and personal strain (including Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire, EuroQol, Caregiver Strain Scale and General Health Questionnaire). Results A substantial unmet need of older people with diabetes mellitus, in relation to domestic activities and diabetes care, was highlighted. Patient and carer diabetes knowledge was low. Primary carers were generally female relatives from the same household, not in paid employment. Twenty-seven carers (33%) provided ≥ 35 h of care work each week. Most carers experienced a moderate level of stress, but 11 (14%) regularly felt overwhelmed. Thirty-three carers (40%) said they had never received any information on diabetes from professionals. Help most frequently wanted was advice and support in relation to accessing community services and about finances, benefits and/or allowances. Conclusions Both patient and carer diabetes education strategies are required. Instruction for carers in the basic care of patients with diabetes is also needed and should be targeted. As many as one in seven carers felt regularly overwhelmed and lacked adequate support. Finally, 26 carers (31%) were entitled to benefits which they did not claim.
- Subjects
UNITED Kingdom; DIABETES complications; DIABETES prevention; TREATMENT of diabetes; PEOPLE with diabetes; CAREGIVERS; COMPUTER software; DEMOGRAPHY; INTERVIEWING; JOB descriptions; NATIONAL health services; METROPOLITAN areas; PSYCHOLOGICAL stress; SOCIAL responsibility; DATA analysis; EDUCATION
- Publication
Diabetic Medicine, 2010, Vol 27, Issue 9, p1055
- ISSN
0742-3071
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1464-5491.2010.03066.x