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ERIC Number: EJ721479
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-Oct
Pages: 15
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0360-1277
EISSN: N/A
An Empowerment Approach for Elders Living With Diabetes: A Pilot Study of a Community-Based Self-Help Group--the Diabetes Club
DeCoster, Vaughn A.; George, Lori
Educational Gerontology, v31 n9 p699-713 Oct 2005
Diabetes mellitus is a disabling, deadly disease, affecting one in five of adults over 65. Unfortunately, for the few elders that receive diabetes self-care training it is often taught using traditional didactic methods that are insensitive to their unique needs and immersed in the traditional medical paradigm. Integrating diabetes self-care into daily living demands more than knowledge acquisition and skill mastery; it requires acceptance of the disease, motivation for change, instrumental and emotional support, general problem-solving skills, and control over one's life--empowerment. This project sought to develop and pilot-test a peer-led, community-based, self-help intervention for elders with diabetes--the Diabetes Club. The intervention targeted diabetes self-efficacy, seeking to empower elders then increase diabetes self-care behavior targets, resulting in improved glycemic control. Club members and social workers collectively developed, implemented, tested intervention protocols, detailed in this paper with additional materials available on a dedicated website. Albeit over a short time period, findings showed significant improvements in diabetes self-efficacy, self-care behaviors, and reduction of glycosolated hemoglobin (A1C). The results are promising, demonstrating the benefits of social-work involvement in diabetes and the potential of elders helping themselves and each other.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A