HHA: Diabetes Mellitus Care

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Video Runtime: 20 Minutes

Approximately 16 million adults in the United States live with diabetes. The condition of diabetes can affect every organ in the body, and it is important for the home health aide to understand the symptoms to look for when caring for the patient with diabetes. This course will define the two types of diabetes—type 1 and type 2—and discuss the causes and frequently seen symptoms of each. Since foot care is an important task provided within the scope of the aide role, a demonstration of proper foot care for the patient with diabetes is provided. Goals for care and patient safety are discussed. A demonstration of recognizing and reporting changes in conditions for patients with diabetes is also presented to further support observation and reporting strategies.

Meet your instructor

Kim Corral

Kim is a registered nurse with a master's degree in education and more than 30 years of home health experience. She is an experienced leader in home health care, having held both clinical and operational positions at regional and national levels for large corporate home health organizations. She brings a passion for providing…

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Chapters & learning objectives

1. Case Scenario and Course Overview

In this chapter, we will introduce the agenda and learning objectives for this course and present an example of a scenario you may encounter in your work with patients.

2. Types of Diabetes and Common Symptoms

This chapter will define and identify the two types of diabetes, as well as the causes, signs, and symptoms an aide may see when caring for patients with diabetes. We will also be connecting our learning back to our initial example scenario.

3. Goals of Care

Providing excellent personal care and maintaining patient safety are the aide’s primary goals of care. In this chapter, we will discuss the personal care and safety goals to consider. A demonstration of how to provide proper foot care to a patient living with diabetes will be presented.

4. Documentation, Reporting, and Signs of Concern

Home health aides are the eyes and ears of their organizations. Because of this, it is extremely important that home health aides document their observations and report them back to the rest of the care team. In this chapter, we will explain what to report to your supervisor and when, and describe two specific signs of concern: hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. We will also present a demonstration of excellent reporting practices.

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