Caring for Diabetes Patients At Home

When it comes to diabetes, we all know the big numbers.

• There are 37.3 million Americans – or about 11.3% of the entire U.S. population – that have diabetes.

• About 1 in 5 Americans living with diabetes, or 8.5 million people, are unaware that they have the disease.

• Approximately 96 million American adults have prediabetes. More than 8 in 10 adults living with prediabetes don’t know they have it.

We’ve all read the figures, but how many people understand just how critical care in the home can be for patients with diabetes? Diabetes is ranked second, behind only congestive heart failure, as the primary diagnosis of patients who are entering home care, according to the American Diabetes Association journal Diabetes Spectrum. 

Patients are released from hospitals and rehabilitation centers and working with home health care teams earlier in the continuum of care than ever before, and those with diabetes are certainly included among them. That means home health care professionals should take care to learn the most effective ways to care for their diabetic patients. AccentCare’s proprietary RightPath programs focus on patients’ unique needs to help manage chronic conditions like diabetes, by using expert clinical guidelines and evidence-based practices that complement a physician’s orders. To begin, here are 5 things you must remember when caring for patients with diabetes:

Insulin and oral Medications

Some patients may need to take daily insulin shots while others may have an insulin pump. Some patients use a combination of more than one type of insulin or take oral medications to help with blood sugar control. Insulin and other diabetic medications should be administered as per Physician orders. Pay special attention to any changes in the type of medication, timing, or dose. It is important to ensure blood sugar is also monitored per Physician orders. Special attention should be taken to be sure insulin and other medications are stored correctly and not past the expiration date.

Watch Their Diet

A healthy, well-planned diet helps to control the amount of sugar in patients’ blood and helps them maintain a healthy weight. With a program like RightPath, a health care provider, nurse, dietitian, or diabetes educator helps create a plan that works for the patient.

Help Them Be Active

Being active helps the body use insulin to turn food into energy. Caregivers can work with providers to create and put into practice an activity program that's right for each patient based on age, general health, and types of activity that they enjoy. Remember to help patients start slowly, breaking it into chunks throughout the day and week.

Monitor Their Blood Sugar

Many patients with diabetes know how to check their own blood sugar at home, but you may need to educate them and in some care settings perform these checks as ordered. Make sure you’re familiar with their preferred and available methods of measurement from continuous glucose monitoring devices to finger pricks. If the patient’s blood sugar is often out of range, know how to recognize and respond quickly to low blood sugar symptoms. These include sweating, shaking, or confusion, but are often unique to each patient.

Be Alert for Stress and Depression

Living with diabetes, or any serious condition, can increase a patient’s stress which can trigger a number of different emotions. However, for patients with diabetes, feeling stressed or depressed can affect their blood sugar levels. If you believe a patient is having trouble dealing with diabetes, take the appropriate steps. Options may include speaking with their provider, referencing more specific health care support or programs, or even suggesting joining an online support community.

In the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled. Most patients referred to home care are over 65, and with the projected increase in the size of this age group in the very near future, as well as the projected increase in the number of patients diagnoses with diabetes, we finally start to grasp the importance of home health care professionals in this arena.

For more information about caring for patients with Diabetes, or an incredible variety of topics to assist you in your care, check out our Helpful Resources for health care professionals.