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The Efficacy of a Home‐Based Nursing Program in Diabetic Control of Elderly People with Diabetes Mellitus Living Alone
Author(s) -
Huang ChunLien,
Wu ShiaoChi,
Jeng ChiiYuan,
Lin LiChan
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
public health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1525-1446
pISSN - 0737-1209
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1446.2004.21107.x
Subject(s) - diabetes mellitus , medicine , nursing , nursing homes , gerontology , endocrinology
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a home‐based nursing program in the diabetic control of elderly people with diabetes mellitus living alone. Patients meeting the sampling criteria were recruited from a medical center and 10 health centers in Taipei for this quasi‐experimental study. By matching the effects of age, sex, education, and history of diabetes, subjects were assigned semirandomly to two groups based on the intensity of home‐based nursing care visitations. Group I was defined as daily visits to supervise diet, exercise, medication, and self‐monitoring blood sugar ( n = 15) and Group II as weekly visits to supervise diet, exercise, medication education, and self‐monitoring blood sugar ( n = 15). Patients who agreed only to receive blood examination were assigned to the control group ( n = 14). The results of the study showed that reductions in fasting blood sugar, postmeal blood sugar, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in Groups I and II were significantly greater than those in the control group. The reduction in the total cholesterol and low‐density lipoprotein in Groups I and II was significantly greater than that in the control group. There were no significant differences among the three groups in the improvement of high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides (TGs). Group I revealed a significantly greater weight reduction compared to Group II. There was no significant difference between Groups I and II in the improvements of diabetes knowledge, depression level, or quality of life. From the research findings, based on cost‐effectiveness, it is recommend that Program II be implemented.