The following blog was written by:
Patricia McKissock-Gittinger, RN, CDE
Director of Diabetes Education
Highlands Hospital
Highlands Hospital Diabetes Center is located in rural Fayette County; we are about 50 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania nearing the West Virginia border. Our county has a 12.4% rate of diabetes. We also have a 64% higher than state average rate for end–stage renal failure and a 17% higher than state average rate for amputations. Therefore, we have many challenges.
Our Diabetes Center has been offering Diabetes Self Management Education (DSME) for many years. And in recent years we have been fortunate to have funding to expand our community efforts. The main focus of our community events has been in the area of Play. Notice I didn’t use the E word (exercise) or even the term physical activity. We promote play activities which take people back to their childhood passions. We have offered ballroom dance lessons, cycling and walking events, beginner golf lessons and swimming classes. In addition, we have also exposure our patients to the Wii fit and Wii fit plus during educational encounters.
We tell our patients, “remember when you were young, you loved to play outside with your friends. Moving around is not a punishment, it’s not torture, it’s not work, it’s fun!!! ”We ask, “what did you like to do as a child or wanted to try?” Most people loved biking as a child, then they got something called a driver’s license and put their bike away.” This is the second year that we have held our bike/walk event on the River Park Great Trail. This year’s attendance brought out 250 individuals to walk/bike the trail. How far they ride or walk is each participant’s choice. We do pre and post event blood glucose levels to show the immediate drop from activity. Some of the drops in their blood glucose levels were dramatic but all individuals were safe levels. At this event this year, we held a hula hoop contest. To show individuals that play (exercise) comes in all forms of movement.
Participation in our ballroom dance lesson was great!! We are now up to 48 people per lesson. People’s ages range from 9 years of age to 88 year olds. People can bring their own partners; some bring spouses, sons, daughters, grandkids, or friends. Between classes they can easily turn on their radios at home and keep on dancing to practice their moves. Following the foxtrot lessons, the Diabetes Center had a Big Dance (prom) for 115 people; it included a dance contest which corresponded to “Dancing with the Star.” We had posters that read, “Dance your numbers down.” To encourage people to come and learn more about dancing and their blood glucose values.
Both our golf and swim lessons changed lives. People are now swinging their way to a healthy lifestyle and those who were afraid of the water are now diving in and doing lap swimming.
I would like all diabetes educators to exam their thoughts, knowledge base and prejudices about activity. Do not be put off when the patients tell you they can not do things because of other health problems. Tell them, “The more you have wrong with you, the more you need it.” As a long time cardiac rehab nurse, I know the benefits. We use to exercise, (oops the E word) people waiting for a heart transplant. We exercised them to keep them alive until a heart came available. Also do not worry so much about hypoglycemia, you are great at teaching patients to be proactive and preventing it. Let’s ending with Ben Franklin, “You don’t stop playing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop playing.”