Family support in caring for older people with diabetes mellitus: a phenomenology study

Objective: This study was conducted to gain a deep understanding of the experience of older people with diabetes mellitus (DM) about their family support in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia. Method: The qualitative design was used with a phenomenological approach. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews of eight older people with DM. Ethical clearance was obtained from The Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Nursing, University of Indonesia. All the participants were provided with information about the purpose and the type of the study. Participants’ type of participation in this research was voluntary. The recorded interviews were reported anonymously. Data were analyzed using the seven steps of Colaizzi include reading the transcript, listening to the transcript, choosing keywords, categorizing grouping, creating narratives, validating, and translating findings into a complete narrative. Results: Three themes were identified about family support toward older people with DM such as the changes in older people with DM, optimum family support and suboptimal family support. Conclusions: The physical and psychological changes which older people with DM had experienced affect the family support they had received. Therefore, this study will give a valuable contribution to the improvement of health service for older people with DM in Indonesia.