Diabetic
Supplies
Diabetic Supplies for Diabetes Control . . . Welcome
to our Knowledge is Power Resource Guide, providing
free information to get you on the road to better health
today
with diabetes health and wellness information from
Diabetic Supplies Organization, a good online source
for diabetes care, diabetic services and diabetes products!
Diabetes education is a crucial part of a diabetic
treatment plan. Diabetes education focuses on ways to
incorporate diabetes disease management principles into
the individual's daily life and minimize dependence
on the diabetes health care provider.
Diabetes educators have identified three levels of
diabetes education:
- basic disease management including basic "survival
skills"
- home management
- improvement of lifestyle
Basic disease management includes knowledge and skills
that a person newly diagnosed with diabetes must master
prior to leaving the hospital or health care provider's
office. Diabetic skills include:
- learning how to recognize and treat low blood sugar
(hypoglycemia)
- learning how to recognize and treat high blood
sugar (hyperglycemia)
- learning how to select appropriate foods and when
to eat them
- learning how to administer insulin or how to take
oral diabetc drugs
- learning how to test and record blood glucose and
urine ketones
- learning where to buy diabetic supplies and dugs
and how to store them
Home management skills will help the diabetic to better
control their disease and may prevent development of
complications.
Home
health care monitoring diabetic disease management
skills include:
- learning how to adjust insulin and/or food intake
during exercise
- learning how to handle sick days
- diabetic foot care
- learning to watch for long-term complications of
diabetes and managing commonly associated conditions
such as high blood pressure
After the person with diabetes learns the basic principles
of diabetes care and a diabetics routine has been established
for several months, he or she may be interested in learning
more about the disease. Information about ways to improve
the lifestyle of people with diabetes may be helpful.
Topics may include:
- how to handle eating out
- alcohol use and diabetes
- how to modify insulin levels based on blood glucose
levels
- how to adjust insulin and diet for variations in
meal times, and changes in routine.
An annual review of diabetes information is strongly
recommended. Continually updating personal knowledge
of diabetes is advised, because new research and improved
ways to treat the disease are constantly being developed.
A diabetes nurse-educator can serve as an excellent
resource for information on diabetes. These diabetes
educators should carry the title "Certified Diabetes
Educator" (CDE) indicating that they have received
board certification. Often, the diabetes educator can
help you develop a diabetics management plan based on
your age, work or school schedule, activity levels,
and usual eating patterns.
Some medical centers provide specific Diabetes Clinics
that specialize in management of patients with diabetes.
These clinics often combine the resources of several
experts in diabetes management, including a physician
who specializes in the care of people with diabetes,
a diabetes nurse practitioner, a certified diabetes
educator, a registered dietitian, and a social worker.
These medical clinics also are a good source of diabetes
information for the diabetic patient.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation offer several pamphlets
and brochures about diabetes. For information on educational
programs and/or seminars, contact your local chapter
of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), American
Dietetic Association, American Association of Diabetes
Educators, your local health department, or the hospitals
and medical centers in your area.
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