Nosipho Empowered by TIP on How to Manage Diabetes

Posted on April 20, 2020

Nosipho is a 59-year-old lady who has been living with Type 2 diabetes for more than 10 years. She receives diabetes care from Atteridgeville Clinic, her local primary care clinic. Nosipho lives with her 2 unemployed children and her granddaughter. She describes herself as an active informal trader who stocks clothes from Johannesburg and sells them to her community. She also enjoys long walks to the clinic as well as visiting her friends within her community.

When we first met her, Nosipho’s blood glucose was not controlled despite adhering to her diabetes medication. She was on maximum oral therapy with metformin and glimepiride. She indicated that whenever she took one of the oral diabetic medication, metformin she would get diarrhoea. Because she was not feeling well, she was unable to continue with her trade. Her social life was also impacted and she could not visit her friends anymore. She also mentioned that she did not have the energy to do household chores. Because of her poor health, she faced a loss of income and could not afford healthy food for her condition. She was also concerned that her children did not enjoy eating her “diabetic diet”.

After being screened by the TIP team, Nosipho qualified to be included in the TIP study. Despite her excitement about being in the programme, she was concerned that she would not be able to inject herself because she was scared of injections. Her fear of injections was addressed through counselling and she was taught coping techniques to manage her injection-related anxieties. Moreover, she was educated on testing her own blood glucose and how to inject insulin. She began taking insulin and testing her blood glucose daily.

After being initiated on insulin, Nosipho and her family were visited at her home for follow-up. Those weekly visits were conducted by the TIP team accompanied by a Community Health Worker attached to her area. During these visits, Nosipho and her family were educated and counselled about diabetes. They also received education on healthy nutrition including how to cook and eat correctly using food that is available for the whole family, without having a specific diet for diabetes. Ideal exercises were also demonstrated to her.

To date, Nosipho’s blood glucose is well controlled after a 14-week follow-up period. She can test and understand her own blood glucose readings. She can inject her insulin daily without fear. She has not been complaining about diarrhoea. As her health improved, she could resume the activities she loves. She walks to the clinic and she can visit her friends. She is also considering resuming with her trade. Her family is more knowledgeable about her condition and can support her better.

Many people living with diabetes in South Africa are eager to live better lives with their condition, however, they lack the knowledge to make informed decisions, as well as adequate guidance and support. Being included in the TIP study was a game-changer for Nosipho. She feels empowered and for the first time in 10 years of with diabetes, she is in control of her condition.

Please note that Nosipho is not the patient's real name in order to protect the patient's identity. 

Copyright © University of Pretoria 2024. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 Corona Virus South African Resource Portal

To contact the University during the COVID-19 lockdown, please send an email to [email protected]

FAQ's Email Us Virtual Campus Share Cookie Preferences