PERSONA
Living with Diabetes: An Occupational Therapy Perspective
A
lmost half the population of India suffers from diabetes. It is also one of the fastest growing diseases and comes under the category of lifestyle diseases. Diabetes can affect any person, irrespective of age, gender, occupation and region. It is believed to be a ‘silent killer’ by many as the complications caused by the disease are varied and can affect any part of the body causing major damage, if left untreated or neglected. Most of us believe that only medicines need to be prescribed and the disease will be taken care off. Though that is a very important aspect of treatment, a person diagnosed with diabetes also needs to have a good quality of life (QOL) in order to ensure healthy living and compliance with treatment protocols. The field of Occupational Therapy (OT) looks into the daily activities of the person with diabetes and analyzes ‘how’ it is being done. Not only does the activity need to be done using correct posture, it should also not be physically taxing. Over and above, the activity must be done
NEWSCOPE
RESEARCH
ISSUES
WELL-BEING
TRENDS
THEME
By Dr. Monika Kundu Srivastava
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Volume 4 | Issue 1 | January-March 2019
‘safely’. Occupational therapists help by training the person with diabetes modify habits and routines. If required, a new routine and method can be prescribed in order to ensure independence without putting the person at risk. OT can help patients develop simple, concrete, measurable, and achievable self-management goals consistent with the seven behaviours advocated by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE). These AADE 7™ Self-Care Behaviours are: (1) healthy eating, (2) being active, (3) monitoring, (4) taking medication, (5) problem solving, (6) healthy coping, and (7) reducing risks. HEALTHY EATING The whole process of ‘eating right’ starts with buying the ‘correct’ food. Planning and then preparing a meal using suitable ingredients is just as important. Healthy eating is essential. Cutting down on your favourite sweets may be a real challenge.However, in today’s day and age, there are several substitutes available in the market. Monitoring carbohydrate intake,
avoiding sweets, sweetened drinks and trans-fats is essential to keeping diabetes under control. BEING ACTIVE Staying active through physical exercise and continuing to do as many tasks by yourself will not only ensure that your body remains toned up but, will also ensure optimal utilization of the sugar you may have eaten and release of ‘happy hormones’ such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, estrogen and progesterone. Setting realistic and do-able goals will give a sense of achievement, for example ‘today I will tidy up my cupboard’ (dopamine); reducing stress by spending quality time with loved ones and pursuing a hobby, a physical exercise routine (yoga, going for a walk, dancing, etc.) and meditation are some ways to improve the levels of ‘happy hormones’ in the body. MONITORING AND TAKING MEDICATION This can be easily achieved by encouraging the person with diabetes to have a schedule. Keeping fixed times for meals and medication decreases the chances of ‘forgetting’.
