New Effort Launched to Help Hispanic Senior Citizens
Self-Manage their Diabetes
About 18% of seniors on Medicare have diabetes;
Hispanic are four times more likely to be hospitalized due to
uncontrolled diabetes.
By 2050,
Hispanics will be the fastest growing population in the 65 and
over age group, reaching 15 million, and will likely double that
figure for those age 50 and over.
Nov. 7, 2008 – Focusing on Hispanic senior citizens
with diabetes and covered by Medicare, a new effort between the American
Diabetes Association (ADA) and the Patient Education Research Center at
the Stanford University School of Medicine was announced yesterday by
Health and Human Services (HHS). Their goal is to increase the number of
diabetes self-management training programs (DSMT) in the U.S. for
Hispanics and others.
This collaboration supports HHS’ Interagency
Hispanic Elder Initiative. That initiative, launched in 2007 by the
department’s - > Administration on Aging (AoA), > Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS), > Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ),
> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and > Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA).
It seeks to improve the health of
Hispanic senior populations - the largest minority group in the United
States.
The initiative has identified diabetes as a primary
issue of concern for Hispanic seniors.
Approximately 18 percent of all Medicare
beneficiaries have diabetes.
Hispanic beneficiaries are particularly susceptible
to the disease and are more than four times likely than non-Hispanics
aged 65 and over to experience a hospital admission due to uncontrolled
diabetes. If not properly managed, diabetes can lead to serious and
costly complications, such as amputation, blindness, stroke and even
premature death.
“Teaching seniors with diabetes how to manage their
disease will allow them to live longer and more productive lives,” said
CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems.
“Although Medicare covers
diabetes self-management training (DSMT), there is a shortage of
programs nationwide, especially for Spanish-speaking seniors. This new
collaboration will increase the number of programs, including those
focused on the needs of Hispanic seniors.” Currently, there are 3,200
American Diabetes Association- recognized diabetes self-management
training program sites nationwide.
The Stanford DSMT program uses trained “peers” --
including seniors who have diabetes -- to educate participants about
actions they can take to better manage their diabetes. The program can
be delivered in community settings, where seniors naturally congregate,
such as senior centers and senior housing programs, and it has been
shown to be effective at improving people’s ability to control their
diabetes and to reduce their use of emergency rooms.
The participating communities will enlist the help
of AoA’s network of community-based aging services organizations to
assist in delivering the Stanford DSMT. After three months of
operation, the local DSMT programs will be eligible to submit
applications to ADA for recognition.
Successful applications will make these programs
eligible for recognition by the ADA. AoA will then use the results of
this initiative to promote the program’s replication nationwide.
“AoA’s nation-wide network of community-based
service organizations is well positioned to assist in delivering the
Stanford Diabetes Self-Management Training Program to Medicare
beneficiaries,” said Assistant Secretary for Aging Josefina G. Carbonell.
“Our network is a known and trusted resource for
seniors and their families in communities all across the nation. They
have successfully helped beneficiaries enroll in the Medicare Part D
prescription drug program, and they are eager to help Hispanic Medicare
beneficiaries get access to diabetes self-management programs that will
empower them to take control of their diabetes.”
Under the new collaboration, the four organizations
will work with eight communities across the country with high
concentrations of Hispanic seniors to implement a new ADA-certified
recognized program specifically designed for Spanish-speaking
individuals. The communities are: Chicago, Ill.; Houston, Texas; Los
Angeles, Calif.; McAllen, Texas; Miami, Fla.; New York, N.Y.; San
Antonio, Texas; and San Diego, Calif.
“We are delighted to be a part of this new
collaboration,” stated Kate Lorig, R.N., Dr.P.H., of Stanford
University. “We know through our research that the Diabetes
Self-Management Training Program equips people with the knowledge and
tools they will use to improve their quality of life.”
Age when
diagnosed with diabetes
Diabetes
diagnosis per year
For nearly three decades, the Stanford Patient
Education Research Center has developed and tested peer-led self
management programs for people with chronic health problems. “This
collaboration will allow the benefits of this education to reach a
larger portion of our population,” Dr. Lorig concluded.
The ADA accredits diabetes self-management training
programs that meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self Management
Education.
“We commend AoA for its quest for quality in
seeking ADA recognition and its commitment to increasing access to
diabetes self-management training programs in these communities,” said
Ann Albright, Ph.D., R.D., president, ADA Health Care & Education.
“Diabetes self-management education is the
cornerstone of care for all people with diabetes and this effort will
help more people with diabetes make better informed decisions related to
their self-care behaviors that will lead to improved clinical outcomes,
health status, and quality of life,” Dr. Albright said.
Findings from recent National Healthcare
Disparities Reports prepared by AHRQ show that persistent and growing
health disparities exist among Hispanic elders compared to the
non-Hispanic white elderly population. For example, recent AHRQ data
indicate that Hispanic elderly constitute more than four-times as many
hospitalizations related to diabetes than elderly Caucasians (130.2
versus 31.6 hospitalizations per 100,000 beneficiaries).
Hispanics are the largest minority group in the
United States. In 2007, the Hispanic elderly population was 2.5
million, more than six-and-a-half percent of the entire elderly
population. By 2050, the Hispanic elderly population is projected to
grow to over 17 million, nearly 20 percent of the entire elderly
population.
