News Archive > August 26th, 2004: Education key to living with diabetes
Kemptville District Hospital
2675 Concession Road, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0
Tel: (613) 258-6133; Fax: (613) 258-7853
August 26, 2004
Education key to living with diabetes
By Brenda Quaile
Diabetes Educator
The Diabetes Education Program is offered to all people who have diabetes or are living with someone who has diabetes. The program is now provided 10 months per year at the Kemptville District Hospital.
The nurse educator and the dietitian see each person before the class to assess individual needs. The diabetes classes last for two days, Wednesday and Thursday, from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. They are interdisciplinary and include a family physician, foot care nurse, registered dietitian, certified diabetes nurse educator, and a pharmacist who present in the classes.
The classes are informal and provide lots of opportunity to ask questions and share experience. Many participants ask at first, "what could possibly take two days?" but after taking the class they say, "why didn't I do this sooner?"
Participants may follow up later with the nurse educator and the dietitian, if desired. All participants in the Diabetes Education Program are encouraged to see their family physicians on an ongoing and regular basis.
"Living with Diabetes" information nights will be held once each month at the Kemptville District Hospital. These evening sessions are open to everyone without an appointment. People can simply show up for the sessions. They feature different speakers and topics with time to ask questions, meet others with diabetes, and enjoy coffee and snacks.
Upcoming dates are: Sept. 7, 8 and 9; Oct. 5, 6 and 7; Nov. 2, 3 and 4 and Dec. 7, 8 and 9.
Everyone can benefit from learning more about the disease because everything that people do in a day can affect blood sugar. The complications that may come with diabetes can be prevented if people understand what they can do to protect themselves. However, there are so many myths and half-truths about diabetes that most people don't know what to believe. That is one way diabetes education can help, by clearing things up and helping people to really understand diabetes for the first time.
Diabetes is the leading cause of non traumatic amputations in Canada yet sitting through one of our foot care classes can reduce the risk of having an amputation by 50 per cent. Diabetes is the leading cause of new blindness, and is the underlying cause of 50 per cent of the heart attacks and 75 per cent of the strokes in Canada. All of the complications are preventable with education and support.
Diabetes can be a frightening diagnosis for many people. The diabetes care team, through education, helps to reduce fear and make lifestyle choices easier. No matter how old, how young, how educated, or how long the person has had diabetes, education makes a world of difference.
If you would like to attend one of the classes call 258-3435 and ask for the KDH Health Records Department at extension 400.