Programs that help people of all ages who have juvenile or adult diabetes understand and manage their illness. Services may include screening programs for early identification of the condition and associated complications; establishment of a treatment regimen; patient education; and self-management skills development assistance which may focus on use of insulin and drugs to control blood sugar levels, blood glucose monitoring, dietary management in different environments (at home, at work, in school, while dining out), menu planning, the role of exercise in relation to food intake, hygienic measures such as foot care and ways to reduce the likelihood of diabetes-related complications which may include heart disease, kidney failure, amputation, nerve damage and blindness. Included are programs that provide comprehensive preventive, diagnostic and treatment services on an inpatient or outpatient basis as well as less formal programs that emphasize education and may provide any combination of supportive services such as case management, assistance in obtaining needed products and services, and assistance in following the prescribed treatment regimen. Diabetes is a chronic, incurable disease in which the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to allow the body to adequately metabolize sugar.

[ View Programs and Services (1) | Related Topics ]