What Are You Doing for National Diabetes Month?
November is National Diabetes Month and provides a wonderful opportunity for us as CDE’s to raise awareness in our communities. Whether we decide to participate in some of the national efforts to raise awareness or whether we decide to make smaller local efforts, all of our activities can be instrumental in bringing diabetes awareness and diabetes education to the forefront in our communities.
We are all aware of the statistics and the importance of educating the community on diabetes prevention but I think we get so busy taking care of our patients who already have diabetes, we just are not able to take time very frequently to educate the public on how to make healthy changes to prevent diabetes. Having a plan to take a little time every November to do something to promote awareness and prevention is a good strategy to help us all remember to fit it in to our very busy schedules.
The International Diabetes Federation has stated that November 14th is World Diabetes Day. Their theme this year is “Act Today to Change Tomorrow”. To support this theme, you could offer a diabetes prevention class as a lunch and learn session or maybe provide a diabetes screening. Maybe even a 5K walk could be organized. Could you convince your hospital to light up the hospital in blue! On a smaller scale, maybe you can be sure to wear blue and just make an effort to talk to people about diabetes and put up some posters at your workplace or in your local grocery stores or pharmacies. Maybe you can post information on social media. The IDF website has additional ideas and resources available on their website.
The National Diabetes Education Program’s theme this year is “Diabetes Education and Support: Everyone Has a Role, What’s Yours?” Maybe in support of this theme, you could provide a support group or class for caregivers. Perhaps you can teach a class on patient self-care/empowerment. If you work in a hospital, maybe a survival skills class for nurses could be offered so that they can be more comfortable answering some of those point of care questions. As always the NDEP website has an abundance of free education material that can be utilized to support your educational efforts for National Diabetes Month.
The American Diabetes Association’s theme this year is “Eat Well America”. What can you do to encourage people to eat healthy to both prevent and manage diabetes in the month of November? This one is particularly challenging with the holidays! But, providing healthy recipes and strategies to eat healthy throughout the holidays is always helpful. Maybe you can provide information on the trays in your workplace cafeteria or on posters in the cafeteria. Would a local grocery store allow you to organize a grocery store tour for the public to promote making healthy choices at the grocery store? Maybe you could even do a cooking demo at a local senior center. All of these strategies emphasize the importance of healthy eating to prevent/manage diabetes. The ADA also has additional ideas and promotional materials available on their website.
AADE has declared the week of November 1st National Diabetes Education Week. So don’t forget to use the first week of November to promote yourself! Remind your community that you are available by writing an article for the local newspaper. Remind the rest of the healthcare team how important your role is by writing an article for your work newsletter. Maybe you can provide a free class at your local YMCA on pre-diabetes and the importance of education to prevent and manage diabetes. AADE also has free materials available on their website. The handout for the “Healthy Thanksgiving Plate” looks great!
I know I am preaching to the choir here but it’s always good to get reminders to help motivate! I hope you all find some way to participate in National Diabetes Month. If you have additional ideas and resources, please share by commenting on the blog! Thanks to all of you for all you do for diabetes education all year long!