Classification of Support Needs for Elderly Outpatients with Diabetes Who Live Alone

To investigate the support needs of elderly patients with diabetes and to classify elderly patients with diabetes living alone on the basis of support needs.

Support needs were derived from a literature review of relevant journals and interviews of outpatients as well as expert nurses in the field of diabetes to prepare a 45-item questionnaire. Each item was analyzed on a 4-point Likert scale. The study included 634 elderly patients with diabetes who were recruited from 3 hospitals in Japan. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine the underlying structure of support needs, followed by hierarchical cluster analysis to clarify the characteristics of patients living alone (n=104) who had common support needs.

Exploratory factor analysis suggested a 5-factor solution with 23 items: (1) hope for class and gatherings, (2) hope for personal advice including emergency response, (3) supportlessness and hopelessness, (4) barriers to food preparation, (5) hope of safe medical therapy. The hierarchical cluster analysis of subjects yielded 7 clusters, including a no special-support needs group, a collective support group, a self-care support group, a personal-support focus group, a life-support group, a food-preparation support group and a healthcare-environment support group.

The support needs of elderly patients with diabetes who live alone can be divided into 2 categories: life and self-care support. Implementation of these categories in outpatient-management programs in which contact time with patients is limited is important in the overall management of elderly patients with diabetes who are living alone.