Self Help, Not Self Pity': Caring for People with Diabetes in a Voluntary Organisation

Abstract

The importance of the voluntary sector in providing services for people with a chronic illness has been increasingly recognised. A consumer organisation in the voluntary sector, which provides services for people with diabetes, was selected to explore the role of voluntary organisations in service provision. The investigation revealed that voluntary organisations provide support services such as information and education, advocacy, health promotion, the encouragement of research, social activities, and aids and appliances. These services focus on the individual, social, financial and economic needs of people with diabetes and fill the gaps in programs provided by public sector organisations, which are largely targeted toward acute care, are less flexible, and increasingly concerned with cost efficiency. With the shift towards decentralising services to the community and the increased participation of consumers in health care, the work of voluntary organisations will become even more indispensable in Australia.