Empowering Families
In thinking about the best way to address individuals’ health or illness risks or needs, it seems that family is a most important form of support. Empowerment refers to increasing the abilities and capacities of individuals, families, and groups in ways that help them make choices that result in desired actions and outcomes. It affects the way we think about helping and how we define success. Empowerment occurs through relationships when power is transferred from one person to another. Empowerment equips people with the skills, knowledge, and tools they need to succeed and makes change happen. Not just any change, but changes that are in the direction of the goals they want to achieve.
Empowerment prepares individuals and families with the information and resources they need to address diabetes self-management.
When it comes to diabetes self-management and empowerment, the diabetes educator needs to approach the person with diabetes without a pre-determined agenda. This is not easy for educators to do because previous learning has said that people with diabetes must have education about a list of very specific content areas. In fact, educators often act like cookie cutters trying to make sure that each patient or client encounter is the same. Rather than individualize or address the uniqueness of individuals, education sessions often become a race with time as attempts are made to cover every topic imaginable. Too often persons with diabetes are left in the dust! They may suffer from information overload and not have learned anything that really meets their personal needs.
Empowerment gives the control to the person with diabetes and asks: What do you want to know about diabetes? What do you need to manage it? How can I best help you answer your questions and address your priorities?
Empowerment gives the control back to the person with diabetes and asks: What do you need to know about diabetes? What is your experience with diabetes? What goals are important to you? Do you have what you need to accomplish those goals? The diabetes educator then responds to the needs and priorities of the person with diabetes! Rather than tell the person living with diabetes what we think they need to know, we answer the questions that are important to them. Diabetes educators that are sensitive, caring, willing to listen, and sincerely try to address concerns are likely to be most effective in meeting actual needs. Being empathetic and permitting oneself to understand the opinions and views of others is essential in an empowerment model.
People are empowered when they have:
- Knowledge to make good decisions;
- Control;
- Resources to implement their decisions;
- Experience to evaluate the effectiveness of their actions.
Anderson & Funnell, (2005). The Art of Empowerment (2nd ed). American Diabetes Association. Alexandria, VA.
If the topic of empowerment is new to you, it might be helpful to spend some time learning more about these ideas. When family-focused care is the intention, persons with diabetes and their family members will probably find use of an empowerment model most helpful. This means that the educator must move away from thinking about compliance and non-compliance! When those ideas are used, the educator is in control and judges the effectiveness of actions. Educators see bad things happen and they want to see those things prevented. They want people with diabetes to know that it is serious! However, an educator with this point of view often appears to be the enemy or a judge rather than a friend and supporter. Persons with diabetes and family members have more control and what they need from educators is direction and support.
Key Empowerment Concepts to Include in a Family-Focused Model
- Individuals with diabetes and family members choose learning needs and goals.
- Individuals with diabetes and family members make decisions and guide education process.
- Individuals with diabetes and family members know most about their needs and problems.
- Failures are viewed as opportunities to learn and improve care measures.
- Self-management looks for the best ways to identify actions that work and find ways to reinforce them.
- Individuals with diabetes and family members are responsible and accountable for the care.
- Individuals with diabetes and family members need to form supportive networks.
- Individuals with diabetes and family members need to understand the best ways to use their resources.
- Diabetes educators can be guideposts as they assist individuals with diabetes and family members as they move at their own pace toward health and wellness.
Adapted from: Anderson & Funnell, (2005). The Art of Empowerment (2nd ed). American Diabetes Association. Alexandria, VA.
Professional papers about the topic of empowerment and diabetes management are available. If this is not a familiar topic, then take some time to read and learn more. You might want to start with the work at the University of Michigan Diabetes Research and Training Center. Search on the internet for the work about empowerment by Martha Funnel, MS, RN, CDE and Robert M. Anderson, EdD and many professional papers will become available. Books on this topic are also available for purchase.
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