Response to Asia Santos
Hello Asia, I agree with you in your discussion. Indeed diabetes is one of the chronic diseases that cost the government exorbitant amounts of money. Drugs used to treat diabetes, such as insulin and DPP-4 inhibitors, are expensive to buy. Also, diabetic tests such as glycated hemoglobin tests and random blood sugar tests are expensive to families without health coverage. Another cost is the cost of hiring caregivers. Pradeepa & Mohan (2017), states that some diabetic patients may not be able to read and understand the medication dose or to maintain proper hygiene. Hence they may require a caregiver to assist them in their condition. Additionally, diabetes results in the development of other infections such as renal diseases and visual impairments, and this also presents an additional cost to the family of the diabetic patient. Diabetes, if not treated at early stages, may drain families economically, and there it is advisable for individuals to attend regular diabetes screening tests in order to prevent future negative impacts (Kähm et.al. 2018). The family may spend a lot of finances in catering for the medication of the geriatric patient. As the disease prolongs, the family may begin experiencing financial challenges more so if there is no stable source of income.
References
Pradeepa, R., & Mohan, V. (2017). Prevalence of type 2 diabetes and its complications in India and economic costs to the nation. European journal of clinical nutrition.
Kähm, K., Laxy, M., Schneider, U., Rogowski, W. H., Lhachimi, S. K., & Holle, R. (2018). Health care costs associated with incident complications in patients with type 2 diabetes in Germany. Diabetes care, 41(5), 971-978.
Response to Nancy Anda Alvarez
Hello Nancy, I concur with you in your discussion, and thanks for doing some research to find out critical statistics on the amount that the government spends in controlling diabetes as well as the number of individuals with chronic disease. Indeed the cost of treating diabetes in geriatric patients is proving to be exorbitant and unbearable to the government and also to the geriatric patients from low-income families and those who do not have health covers (Anja & Laura, 2017). The cost of hiring caregivers to take care of diabetic patients who are unable to cater for themselves is one of the increasing costs in treating diabetes. Some of the diabetic patients are either unable to understand the instructions for taking drugs, or they do not have the strength to support themselves hence the need for caregivers. Also, diabetes results in the development of other infections such as renal diseases and visual impairments, and this also presents an additional cost to the family of the diabetic patient (Bommer et.al 2017). Some families are being forced to sell some of their properties in order to offset the huge medical bills of their diabetic family families. Indeed families are paying dearly to take care of diabetic patients.
References
Anja, B., & Laura, R. (2017). The cost of diabetes in Canada for over ten years: applying attributable health care costs to a diabetes incidence prediction model. Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada: research, policy, and practice, 37(2), 49.
Bommer, C., Heesemann, E., Sagalova, V., Manne-Goehler, J., Atun, R., Bärnighausen, T., & Vollmer, S. (2017). The global economic burden of diabetes in adults aged 20–79 years: a cost-of-illness study. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 5(6), 423-430.