Diabetes

Diabetes is not only a chronic disease, it is becoming an epidemic. According to the 2000 Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 6.3%-6.4% of the population in the Rio Grande Valley has diabetes. This alarming statistic has given rise for healthcare professionals to better educate our population on this disease process. The lack of exercise, healthy eating and greater prevalence of hereditary factors in our population, has led us to deal with more diabetes patients.

Due to the high incidence of diabetes in our backyard, Nurses That Care has taken an extra step to give our patients that specialty needed at home. We have a Certified Diabetes Educator on staff to better educate our nurses on diabetes-self management. We have developed individualized teaching materials
for our patients which includes the following:

1) Meal planning

2) Medications

3) Hyperglycemic / Hypoglycemic

4) Exercise

5) Foot Care

6) Sick Days

7) Complications

Additionally, the HomMed Monitor has given us the ability to access patients’ blood sugar. This will assist physicians to have correct information to better adjust medications accordingly.

The following are other Websites for more Diabetes information:

American Diabetes Organization
www.diabetes.org

American Association of Diabetes Educators
www.aadenet.org

National Diabetes Education Program
www.cc.gov/diabetes/projects/ndeps.htm

Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
www.jdf.org

American Dietetic Association
www.eatright.org