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"The body of knowledge that serves as the rationale for nursing practice determines the areas of specialty to develop as well as the manner in which that knowledge is organized, tested and applied." -Carper, 1978
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Diabetes
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**VNAA IS IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THE ENTIRE DIABETES SECTION. We appreciate your patience during this time. Thank you. - VNAA Staff (August 2010)**
Diabetes is one of this country’s greatest healthcare challenges. It is a costly and devastating disease, imposing a heavy toll on America’s families and their resources. Nearly 18% of Medicare beneficiaries have diabetes but they account for 32% of all Medicare spending. |
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Diabetes is among the top five most prevalent diagnoses of home health patients. Each year, Visiting Nurse Agencies alone care for approximately 600,000 diabetic patients.
By developing and sharing Best Practice models for diabetic disease management, VNAA's goal is to have a broad national impact by empowering homecare agencies and clinicians to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction.
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Best Practice:
Each homecare patient with diabetes should have an individualized diabetes management plan, including: diabetes self-management education (DSME), and mutually agreed upon goals for diabetes care and lifestyle modifications
(including smoking cessation, optimization of meal plan, physical activity and body weight).
WHAT THE HOMECARE CLINICIAN CAN INFLUENCE
The homecare clinicians’ role in assisting patients and families in managing chronic illness is to ensure patient safety and to promote independence in illness management. This involves discovering what a patient or family knows about his or her illness, what he or she wants to change, how ready he or she is to change, and then teaching and coaching him or her on how to integrate those changes into day to day life.
The VNAA Chronic Care Clearinghouse Expert Panel identified seven areas of care:
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