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Workshops can help diabetes patients and those at risk manage issues

Dothan Eagle - 10/8/2017

When dealing with diabetes, knowledge is power.

The Southern Alabama Regional Council on Aging is offering diabetes education and nutrition counseling through its newest companion programs ? Diabetes Self-Management Training and Medical Nutrition Therapy.

Meg Alarie, HealthSake coordinator at SARCOA, said the programs are a needed resource because Wiregrass counties are among those with the highest prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in the nation.

Along with its National Diabetes Prevention Program workshops and sessions, SARCOA is providing education opportunities for individuals with or at risk for the disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its 2017 National Diabetes Statistics Report, an estimated 30.3 million people in the United States (9.4 percent of the population) have diabetes. Nearly 24 percent of people with diabetes (7.2 million people) are undiagnosed.

An estimated 84 million other Americans are living with prediabetes, a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.

According to the CDC, prediabetes puts you at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. An estimated 90 percent of those with prediabetes don't know they have it.

The prevention program can help individuals make lifestyle changes to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

Self-management training offers personalized, patient-centered training for people with diabetes in both a group and one-on-one setting.

The medical nutrition therapy offered by SARCOA helps treat diabetes through the use of an individualized diet devised by a registered dietitian.

SARCOA is promoting awareness of its diabetes education programs, sending letters to area health care providers asking them to refer patients to the agency for their education and training needs.

The letter says research shows that patients are more likely to engage in positive health behaviors when their health care professionals recommend them.

Both DSMT and MNT are covered benefits for Medicare Part B beneficiaries, and beginning January 2018 the NDPP will be as well.

"Your patients with private insurance may also have this benefit and we will assist them in determining their coverage," the letter says.

The self-management training offers a relaxed setting for people to talk about diabetes.

"It's a great opportunity for them to problem solve and have a group discussion with other individuals who have the same challenges and have some of the same barriers," Alarie said.

During medical nutrition therapy, a registered dietitian helps participants build healthy meals and snacks that fit into their carbohydrate budget.

"Most people, that's what they really care about, what we can eat," Alarie said. "She can help them with some individualized meal planning. We have a good idea after they've been through the diabetes self-management of some of their needs, of things they may need more training on."

In self-management training, participants learn to treat low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) using the Rule of 15: If blood sugar is below the target range, eat 15 grams of a fast-acting carbohydrate (such as a half cup of juice or soda) and wait 15 minutes before retesting to make sure the blood sugar level has come within a safe range.

They also learn about tweaking their diet and physical activity to help improve their A1C. The A1C test provides information about a person's average levels of blood sugar over the last three months and helps to gauge how well individuals are managing their diabetes.

Finding the proper diet regimen is important because what might work for one person might not work for another. The workshops and discussions can help people figure out an approach that is right for them.

It also lets them know they are not alone in dealing with the disease and its challenges.

"It gives an opportunity for others to share with them their experiences, let them know how they dealt with a problem like that," Alarie said.

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