Health promotion research

The process of encouraging the people to be conscious of their own well-being is known as health promotion. Diabetes affects the majority of the population, and surprisingly, knowledge about this pandemic disease is lacking. The education plan for diabetic patients in the United States is outlined. Diabetic patients have a wide range of learning requirements, with a focus on preventing diabetes complications and managing blood sugar levels. These criteria include monitoring blood glucose levels, medications, skin care, hypoglycemic episodes, exercise, meal planning, and how to deal with co-existing disorders. The primary purpose of this teaching plan is to ensure patients have knowledge about diabetes and are aware of measures on how to live with the disease as well as manage it and improve health standards. The first symptoms of diabetes are associated with, blurry vision, frequent urination, and feeling fatigued, feeling thirsty, getting hungry often even after you have just had a meal and feeling a numb and tingling effect in the hands and feet (Chomko, Odegard & Evert, 2016).

Objective of the Teaching Plan

• A patient will be able to identify the diabetic medication and how to follow the medical instructions correctly.

The teaching plan aims to help the patient with a comprehensive treatment approach and includes a single patient’s food plan that is precisely for the recommended lifestyle, diabetic based education and therapy and short and long-term goals set towards a change of lifestyles. The policy strictly points out the importance of following the prescribed treatment program and lessons will be conducted in class groups on a daily basis. However, a one on one approach on a patient will be used with routine visits for the admitted patients. The mode of teaching incorporates, lecturing, giving out booklets, short video clips, power point presentations and group discussions. Equipment’s used are a laptop pc, a projector, whiteboard and a marker.

Epidemiology rationale

The community need to understand that being healthy is not just about the illnesses but it is better to recognise their health status. Statistics reveal that 6.2 % of the U.S population nave diabetes (Johnson, Ghildayal, Rockwood & Everson-Rose, 2014). Our first class took place at St. Peters church in their standard room class which was large enough to accommodate 30 chairs and people. The room had a projector system already installed, and the added equipment was the laptop, handouts, and whiteboard. Refreshments were also offered to keep the patients motivated and interested throughout the lesson.

An introduction to the lesson was done, and the patients’ eagerly gave out an ear that helped to proceed with the rest of the experience smoothly. A brief definition of what diabetes is presented. The importance of them understanding what diabetes is makes them comply with the prescribed regimen that follows. On the second day, demonstration of how to test their blood glucose levels is done which helps them identify specific food for their diet plan. The third day, education about the right medication and insulin is done, and the dangers of undertaking or taking an overdose effects are illustrated. On the fourth day, the patients get a chance to know of the complications of diabetes for an hour then how to take good care of their feet and skin and finally an hour of presentation of the exercises to do and their benefits. The last day will explain out in detail on the right diets for diabetic patients and how to cope up with diabetes. All these lessons will be having a few questions for the patients at the end of the evaluation part of the plan.

Evaluation

Evaluation of the teaching program is based on the understanding of the patients regarding the condition they are suffering. The questions answered at the end of each topic by the patients show the level of knowledge of the concepts about diabetes. Most of the patients recorded high scores of an average of 80% of the tests done. At times the elderly would fail to wind up the checks on time, and I had to get assistance from the medical practitioners at the hospitals and guardians of the patients. Most patients did not understand why it was essential to test and know their blood glucose and also how to manage the disease when they are affected by other illnesses such as flu and colds. The teaching of skin and feet care was helpful, and the patients became aware of how to handle themselves in a healthy way and cases of any swellings, blisters or skin breaks, they should not shy but report the occurrence immediately. Diabetes is the leading cause of death in America with 75% stroke inducement and 50% myocardial infractions and the new blindness condition as well as renal failure. If diabetes is properly managed, then there will be a reduction in these illnesses and death tolls (McGovern, 2002).

Community Response to teaching

The community delightfully appreciated the program and recommended it to be done on a regular basis across all government and privatized hospitals and in other public social gatherings too. Through the guardian’s feedback, education of diabetes should not only be done to the patient alone but the general society as it is a disease that is found in almost every neighborhood in the United States and the world at large. Education of the importance of cholesterol and lipid management, smoking cessation, monitoring and managing other illnesses that arise from diabetes should be advocated for in public.

A majority of respondents through questionnaires saw the need to have a balanced diet and practice good feeding habits that entail eating fruits, vegetables, starch and low saturated fat and cholesterol food contents (ADA, 2017). They also learned ways of taking good care of the diabetic patients and how less costly it is when a patient is taken good care off regarding less medical use, good feeding habits which reduce the chances of these patients to get infected with other diseases and keeping their exercise routine in check.

Areas of Strengths and Areas for Improvements

Diabetes is a disease that most people are living with if the community awareness of how to prevent it through good health practices and to embrace well-being then the disease level will be reduced. Diabetic patients should be taught how to watch for the effects of diabetes on the cardiovascular system. Constant check-ups should be recommended, and even everyone should be tested for diabetes for most patients know they are suffering from this killer disease when it is in the later stages. Families should be encouraged to show support to diabetic relatives and friends thus reducing grief and depression among the affected for more natural management of diabetes. Various health agencies should distribute pamphlets and other diabetic educative content to be extended to the community to increase diabetes awareness and ways of handling and treating diabetes even by visiting homes.

References

Chomko, M. E., Odegard, P. S., & Evert, A. B. (2016). Enhancing access to diabetes self-management education in primary care. The Diabetes Educator, 42(5), 635-645.

Johnson, P. J., Ghildayal, N., Rockwood, T., & Everson-Rose, S. A. (2014). Differences in diabetes self-care activities by race/ethnicity and insulin use. The Diabetes Educator, 40(6), 767-777.