Outsmart Diabetes With Self-Management Education

“Having a disease without a cure means having to learn how to live with it every day. This can feel pretty overwhelming when you are first diagnosed with diabetes,” says Annette Crombie, Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) Diabetes Education Coordinator. “That’s where we come in! Think of us as your diabetes resource and education center.”

Education is the key to successfully managing your diabetes and the team at CVMC's Center for Diabetes Control will provide you with essential knowledge, tools and skills to control your blood sugar andlive a healthy life. We offer a number of educational programs to help you learn how to control and manage the effects of the disease within your choice of a supportive classroom or one-on-one setting. A broad array of diabetes-related topics are covered including:

“Our most popular and comprehensive program is the Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) class,” explains Annette. “This group is specifically for adults with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. There are four classes within the program and a new program starts every month.” With classes offered both during daytime and evening hours, the program aims to meet the needs of any patient. All classes are taught by experienced healthcare professionals, including certified diabetes educators, registered nurses, and registered dietitians - all of whom have received training in the most current methods of treating diabetes.

Here’s quick run-down of what’s covered each week of the Diabetes Self-Management Education program:

Class 1: Medications and Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose
Taught by a pharmacist/Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) along with RN/CDE, this is a crucial class for anyone taking medications for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other chronic conditions. We will discuss blood glucose monitoring, sick-day management and management of low blood glucose, and high blood glucose.

Class 2: Nutrition—Basic Carb Counting and Meal Planning
This group class is a must for those interested in focusing on healthy eating and learning how carbohydrates affect blood sugar. Our Registered Dietician will help you learn how to count carbs and plan healthy meals that can include your favorite foods!

Class 3: Exercise is Medicine & Social Aspects of Diabetes
This class is presented by one of our fitness experts from Fitness Plus. You’ll learn why exercise is such an important part of diabetes management and receive a free voucher-good for a 1-month trial at Fitness Plus. Our RN/CDE will discuss the impact of stress on blood glucose control and the group will design strategies for managing difficult situation and coping with stress.

Class 4: Prevention of Long-Term Diabetes Complications
In this class, we explore evidence-based ways to prevent complications of diabetes, such as blindness, neuropathy, kidney failure, and others.

Participants are not required to attend all four classes, but Annette reports, “On average, patients who complete all four classes, decrease their A1C (a measurement of blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels over the past 3 months) by an average of 1.7%!” As numerous studies conducted over the last several decades conclude, achieving and maintaining A1C results can help prevent and/or delay the common and costly complications of diabetes like: high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, diminished sight or blindness, nerve damage and more.

Are you ready to outsmart diabetes? Call our Center for Diabetes Control at 828.326.3442 to schedule your first class today. Visit us online for a complete list of programs offered through our diabetes center.