Living Well With Type 1 Diabetes for 40 Years or More

Abstract

Background: Although many studies explore the experiences of persons with type 1 diabetes, most examine the experience of children, adolescents, or persons in transition to adulthood. Few studies focus on the person living long term with type 1 diabetes. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the facilitators and barriers for people living well with type 1 diabetes over the long term. Methods: An inductive interpretive description approach was used to explore living with type 1 diabetes for a duration of 40 years or more. Qualitative semistructured interviews with a convenience sample (n = 8) were conducted. Results: Four dialectic themes were identified: accommodating and battling the disease, convenience and constraint of technology and treatment, self-reliance and reliance on others, and external and personal knowledge. Conclusions: Recommendations for the health-care team emphasize person-centered care with acknowledgment of the person as expert and as more than their condition. Further research with this population would strengthen the implications for practice. Specifically, research is needed on diabetes distress, losses experienced due to diabetes, how to meet their educational needs, and how to tap into their expertise for the benefit of those with type 1 following them.