Cognitive Development and Diabetes

¶ … Diabetes The author of this brief report has been asked to create a hypothetical care and patient situation and answer some questions about the same. To that end, the author will discuss and analyze the needs, care and other details for a 74-year-old patient with type II diabetes.

A peer reviewed source shall be used and some of the questions that shall be addressed are the nutritional needs of the patient, the physical and cognitive state of the patient, the condition the patient is suffering from and its genesis and the strategies that can be used to improve the quality of life of the patient and/or diminishing the effects of the disease or disorder.

While type II diabetes can be managed fairly or very well in many people, the challenges that inherently affect the elderly can also be a hindrance to managing diabetes. Analysis As noted in the introduction to this report, the hypothetical person that is the focus of this report has type II diabetes and is seventy-four years old. Of course, type II diabetes is otherwise known as and referred to as adult-onset diabetes and can often be minimized to a point where medicine and other direct interventions are not necessary.

However, this can be challenging for a person whose mobility and/or mental state is an issue. With that in mind, that would be a challenge that faces many to most of the elderly. While younger people have enough issues with living a healthy lifestyle and controlling their blood sugar, this becomes a more arduous situation for the older people of society given that their ability to exercise is often impaired (Reed, 1990).

With that in mind, the physical development and cognitive development of this patient would tend to be on the decline. Even if there is no degenerative disorders like dementia and the like in play, people as old as the patient in question will be declining in terms of physical and mental ability in most cases.

Of course, the main issue when it comes to diabetes is the fact that their blood sugar tends to be higher (if not a lot higher) than it should be if that higher blood sugar is not managed. The management of a well-to-do type II diabetes patient would be one where pharmacological (e.g. Metformin) and exercise/lifestyle changes are made to eliminate or at least reduce the onset of symptoms.

In the worst case scenarios, the heart, circulatory system and even limbs of a diabetes patient can be attacked or otherwise affected. Given the general lower ability to exercise and get around, the bigger focus with this patient would be nutritional. This means foods and meals that are lower (or free of ) sugar and snacks that are also sugar free. This means sugar-free candy rather than the standard chocolate, among other things. Of course, one should be mindful of the patient's cultural and ethnic preferences and practices (Reed, 1990).

Indeed, the cause of type II diabetes is typically a confluence of genetics and shoddy lifestyle practices. In this case, the patient surely has the genetic precursors or risk factors and this was complicated by a diet and/or lifestyle arc that allowed the patient's blood sugar and insulin balance to get out of phase. The patient should be as active as he can be. There are plenty of anti-fall and related programs that encourage mobility and activity.

Whether it be Tai Chi, playing the Nintendo Wii, or just being able to move about the facility he is in.