ABSTRACT
Diabetes is a long-term condition that affects multiple areas of daily life, and as such must be managed on a day-to-day basis by the diagnosed individual, often with the help of their family and/or carers. The prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is growing amongst the older population with risk factors for T2D increasing with age; hence, overall rates rise as the population ages. This chapter looks at recent research on older people's day-to-day perspectives, understanding the experiences of self-managing T2D. It explores how social, familial, interpersonal and healthcare professional relationships impact on how older people self-manage T2D. The chapter demonstrates that the healthcare system plays a role in the factors that shape T2D self-management, as do T2D-related factors such as progression of the illness and the presence of co-morbidities. It also looks at wider socio-contextual factors – such as income and ethnicity – and their influence on self-management.
