What Is It?
The Living Healthy with Diabetes Self-Management Education Program is a workshop given two and a half hours, once a week, for six weeks, in community settings such as senior centers, churches, libraries and hospitals.
People with Type 2 Diabetes attend the workshops, facilitated by two trained program providers, one or both of whom are peer program providers with diabetes themselves. Programs are highly participative, where mutual support and success build the participants’ confidence in their ability to manage their health and maintain active and fulfilling lives.
Who should attend Living Health with Diabetes Self Management Education Programs?
The Living Healthy with Diabetes Self-Management workshops are designed to help people with Type 2 Diabetes to gain self-confidence in their ability to control their symptoms and learn how their health problems affect their lives. The Diabetes Self-Management Program will not conflict with existing programs or treatment as it is designed to enhance regular treatment and disease-specific education.
What are the components of Living Health with Diabetes Self Management Education Programs?
Small-group, highly interactive workshops last for six weeks, meeting once a week for 2 ½ hours, and are facilitated by a pair of program providers, one or both of whom are non-health professionals with Diabetes themselves.
Subjects covered include:
- Techniques to deal with the symptoms of diabetes, fatigue, pain, hyper/hypoglycemia, stress, and emotional problems such as depression, anger, fear and frustration
- Appropriate exercise for maintaining and improving strength and endurance
- Healthy eating
- Appropriate use of medication
- Working more effectively with health care providers.
Participants will make weekly action plans, share experiences, and help each other solve problems they encounter in creating and carrying out their self-management program. Physicians, diabetes educators, dietitians, and other health professionals both at Stanford and in the community have reviewed all materials in the workshop.