Type 1 Diabetes in Older Adulthood: Relationships with Technological Treatments

Abstract

<p>The increased recognition of chronic disease (CD) has been accompanied by an era of medical technology, intended to better treat and manage CDs such as type 1 diabetes. Since the discovery of insulin in 1921, the treatment and management of type 1 diabetes has significantly improved, and witnessed innovations such as the insulin pump. Yet, as the population ages within a technological society, the implications of advancements in diabetes care and its relationship with older adults is of great concern. How do older adults identify and make use of these new technologies? How do technological advances challenge traditional life course models or expected transitions of growing old? How do older adults continue to cope and manage with a CD in their advanced years? The objective of this study was to explore how older adults with type 1 diabetes relate to management devices used in their daily routines. Five open-ended and semi-structured interviews were conducted with older adults living with type 1 diabetes (recruited through the Canadian Diabetes Association [CDA] and the Hamilton Health Sciences [HHS] Diabetes Care and Research Program [DCRP], Hamilton, Ontario). Interviews were transcribed and analyzed drawing on analytic techniques of grounded theory. Open, axial and selective coding was used in accordance to the constant comparative approach. Themes included living longer with type 1 diabetes, how type 1 diabetes challenges traditional models of aging and the lifecourse perspective, and older adults welcoming the use of technology. Overall findings suggested technology used for the daily treatment and management of type 1 diabetes may permit increases in one’s quality of life (QOL), yet challenge policies and practices within healthcare settings to ensure older adults maintain independent self-management strategies.</p> <p>Keywords: aging, chronic disease, technology, treatment, type 1 diabetes, older adult, diabetes community</p>