According to the Healthy People 2010 Database, the aging population is expected to increase from 40 million in 2010 to 70 million by 2030 with more people coping with chronic illnesses such as diabetes (Simmons, 2009). The American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimates that a million people are being diagnosed with diabetes every year (Kumar, 2007). There are over 180 million people worldwide with diabetes and this number is expected to double by 2030 as diabetes spirals out of control. In the United States, diabetes mellitus is also associated with foot ulcers and is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower extremity amputations. More than 68,000 non-traumatic lower extremity amputations were performed on patients with diabetes in 2009, a rate that is eight times higher in patients with diabetes than in those who do not have diabetes (CDC, 2012). According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (2010) this adds up to 3.5 of every 1000 diabetic patients with the survival rate one-year post amputation at 65%, 45% after the second year, 18% after the third year, and 5% after four years (Cornell & Steinberg, 2009). The leading cause of lower extremity amputations is foot ulcers. In 2007, the treatment of diabetes and its complications in the United States was at least $116 billion with at least 33% of these costs linked to the treatment of foot ulcer (Vickie et al., 2010). Pressure offloading through the use of both medical devices and the making of appropriate lifestyle changes is a crucial element in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Quality of life issues in patients with chronic diabetic foot wounds is an essential aspect of total health care. It is important for healthcare providers to recognize and appreciate the difficulties these patients face on a daily basis (Armstrong, 2008).
According to the Healthy People 2010 Database, the aging population is expected to increase from 40 million in 2010 to 70 million by 2030 with more people coping with chronic illnesses such as diabetes (Simmons, 2009). The American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimates that a million people are being diagnosed with diabetes every year (Kumar, 2007). There are over 180 million people worldwide with diabetes and this number is expected to double by 2030 as diabetes spirals out of control. In the United States, diabetes mellitus is also associated with foot ulcers and is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower extremity amputations. More than 68,000 non-traumatic lower extremity amputations were performed on patients with diabetes in 2009, a rate that is eight times higher in patients with diabetes than in those who do not have diabetes (CDC, 2012). According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (2010) this adds up to 3.5 of every 1000 diabetic patients with the survival rate one-year post amputation at 65%, 45% after the second year, 18% after the third year, and 5% after four years (Cornell & Steinberg, 2009). The leading cause of lower extremity amputations is foot ulcers. In 2007, the treatment of diabetes and its complications in the United States was at least $116 billion with at least 33% of these costs linked to the treatment of foot ulcer (Vickie et al., 2010). Pressure offloading through the use of both medical devices and the making of appropriate lifestyle changes is a crucial element in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Quality of life issues in patients with chronic diabetic foot wounds is an essential aspect of total health care. It is important for healthcare providers to recognize and appreciate the difficulties these patients face on a daily basis (Armstrong, 2008).
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