Get Excited for November 1st!
Oct 27, 2015, 10:23 AM
I
know many people who are looking forward to this Saturday, October 31st. Of course, it is Halloween: costumes, parties, candy (and, possibly some lower carbohydrate options). But, we also have a couple of reasons to be excited about November 1st. For many of us, we get an extra hour of sleep as we set our clocks to “fall back” to end this year’s Daylight Savings Time.
What you might not know is that November 1
st also starts a week of celebration for us, as diabetes educators, and for people with and affected by diabetes. November 1-7 is National Diabetes Education Week! It is a time to get the word out about diabetes educators and diabetes education.
The majority of people with diabetes do not get diabetes education and a lack of knowledge is the primary reason.
We know the benefits of diabetes education. We have evidence that a person with diabetes benefits from self-management education and training with improved control of blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels; from taking medications as prescribed; with increased use of primary care and preventive services; and with lower health costs. However, the majority of people with diabetes do not get diabetes education and a lack of knowledge is the primary reason. Many people do not know about diabetes education and diabetes educators, that diabetes education is a covered benefit by Medicare and most health insurance plans, or how to
find a diabetes educator or an
accredited/recognized education program.
Print some of the free handouts from AADE for your hospital or office waiting room or to leave at local community centers, churches, and health departments. There is a great one about “Living with Diabetes: Diabetes Educators Can Help” and several Diabetes Tip Sheets from AADE. I am going to use the Healthy Thanksgiving Plate and Healthy Football Season handouts for the offices I work in.
What can you do this week to help get the word out? Here are some thoughts:
- Contact local media to alert them about this week and the importance of diabetes education by a qualified diabetes educator in an accredited/recognized program.
- Use your personal social media to get the word out about National Diabetes Education Week. You can “like” and “share” this blog for a start.
- Offer to do a lunch and learn program.
- Stop at the AADE website throughout the week for exciting news and tools and share, share, share!
What other ideas do you have?
Celebrate the work you do, the benefits we provide to those affected by diabetes, and our profession!
Happy National Diabetes Education Week!
About the Author
Karen Kemmis is a physical therapist, exercise physiologist, certified diabetes educator, and also holds certifications in Pilates for rehabilitation and exercise for aging adults. She is based out of SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY and splits her time between a Joslin Diabetes Center affiliate, an outpatient rehabilitation department, and a PT program where she is an adjunct professor.