The Centers for Disease Control states that there isn’t a cure yet for diabetes, but a healthy lifestyle can really reduce its impact on your life. What you do every day makes the difference: eating a healthy diet, being physically active, taking medicines if prescribed, and keeping health care appointments to stay on track. The rate of new cases of diagnosed diabetes in the United States has begun to fall, but the numbers are still very high; especially in Allegany County.
“When someone is first diagnosed with diabetes, it is often overwhelming,” explained Melissa Biddle, Community Health Manager at Ardent Solutions. “Self-management or positive self-care behaviors can help people control their diabetes. The Living Healthy with Diabetes workshop is provided 2 ½ hours once a week for six weeks. People diagnosed with diabetes and their caregivers are encouraged to participate.”
The purpose of the workshops is to prepare people with diabetes to have the skills and confidence needed to manage their disease on a daily basis and to manage its impact on life roles and emotions. Each participant in the workshop receives a copy of the companion book, Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions, 4th Edition, and an audio relaxation CD.
Subjects covered include: 1) techniques to deal with the symptoms of diabetes, fatigue, pain, hyper/hypoglycemia, stress, and emotional problems such as depression, anger, fear and frustration; 2) appropriate exercise for maintaining and improving strength and endurance; 3) healthy eating 4) appropriate use of medication; and 5) working more effectively with health care providers.
“Participants make weekly action plans, share experiences, and help each other solve problems they encounter in creating and carrying out their self-management program,” continued Biddle. “Such education, however, should be seen as in addition to, not an alternative for, clinically based diabetes education available at the Jones Memorial Hospital’s Diabetes Education Clinic or with your healthcare provider.”
Community members are invited to attend the upcoming Living Healthy with Diabetes workshop scheduled Wednesdays; November 1-December 6, 2017, from 2:00pm-4:30pm at the Houghton Wesleyan Church, 9712 Route 19, Houghton, New York. Cost of the program is just $10.00. Scholarships are available upon request. To enroll, please call Ardent Solutions at 585-593-1738. Pre-registration is required by October 27, 2017.
