Psychosocial aspects in the care of elderly diabetic patients.

Diabetes imposes specific requirements that elderly patients experience as added burdens. Diet, exercise, self-monitoring of blood glucose levels, taking prescribed medications, and regular visits to the physician's office are difficult for the elderly to incorporate into their lives. To appreciate the difficulty many elderly diabetic patients have in complying with treatment, physicians must understand the psychosocial realities faced by all older persons. Patient resistance decreases and compliance increases when physicians recognize the impact of these factors and adjust the therapeutic plan accordingly. Sensitive, communicative, knowledgeable, and understanding physicians will interact with patients and their families, assisting them to successfully accommodate to the demands that diabetes places on their already overburdened coping capabilities.