Diabetes Management
Managing diabetic healthcare can be challenging because many factors such as insulin administration, nutrition, exercise, medication, illness and stress play a major part in keeping blood sugar levels within the range recommended by your doctor. With proper education and coaching, patients can develop the skills and confidence needed to fully participate in their diabetes management.
Program Goals
- Improve glycemic control with education to minimize hyper/hypoglycemia and related kidney disease, neuropathy, vascular complications, diseases of the eye, gum disease and damage to extremities
- Improve medication understanding
- Educate on importance of A1C testing
- Reduce risk of neuropathy-related falls by incorporating PT in the plan of care
- Educate on various risks of dehydration due to diminished thirst perception, thinning dermal layers with resultant loss of moisture through the skin, and avoidance of fluid intake due to fear of incontinence or nocturnal polyuria
- Educate on areas of the extremities at heightened risk for injury and how to protect these sites
Treatment
- Teaching of all types of glucose monitoring and insulin administration systems
- Comprehensive foot exam at initial assessment and regularly throughout home care episode with training on adaptive tools to improve visual inspection
- Training on glycemic control/insulin administration during times of illness
- Identify factors that may negatively affect outcomes such as living arrangements, social support systems, proper nutrition, potential therapy needs, medication management, toenail care and equipment management like oxygen, enteral/parenteral nutrition
- Assessment for neurological, integumentary, cardiorespiratory, genitourinary function
- Observation for signs and symptoms of possible vascular disease
