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Diabetes Support Group
Candler County Hospital offers a monthly support group for community members diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States (Reagan & Brookins-Fisher, 2002). This disease is the body’s failure to process blood sugar in the proper manner, and it poses a significant public health problem (Reagan & Brookins-Fisher). Diabetes is a chronic disease that is manifested as either type 1, which mainly occurs in children and adolescents eighteen years and younger, or as type 2, which usually occurs in adults over age 30 (Reagan & Brookins-Fisher). Approximately 800,000 new cases of diabetes are diagnosed in the United States each year, making a total population in 1998 of 11.3 million diagnosed Americans, but there are also approximately six million undiagnosed cases of diabetes in Americans (Reagan & Brookins-Fisher). Direct and indirect costs of treating diabetes are approximately $132 billions dollars, and since there is no cure for diabetes, these costs may increase as other healthcare costs increase (Stewart, Emslie, Klein, Haus, & White, 2005). There is an estimated overall adherence rate among). Providing a disease management program that incorporates group visits is a realistic and appropriate approach provided by the Candler County Hospital.
Diabetic participants enrolled in our program attend monthly support group meetings. These meetings provide the diabetic person with a variety of resources that can be used to help them better control and live with their disease. In addition to a wide variety of speakers providing monthly educational sessions, participants receive free bi-annual lab work, and vital signs and weight measurements. The meeting is coordinated by the Candler County Hospital Infection Preventionist, Education, Occupational Health Manager, who is also a registered nurse. Dr. Amy Clemons serves as the Medical Liaison for the group. The group meets on the 3rd Thursday night of each month at 5:00PM-6:00PM. Light refreshments are served. Interested participants may contact Teal Jeffers, RN at 912(685-1712) or tjeffers@pineland.net, with questions or to enroll in this exciting program.
References
Reagan, P. A., & Brookins-Fisher, J. (2002). Community Health in the 21st Century (2nd
ed). San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings.\
Stewart, S. M., Emslie, G. J., Klein, D., Haus, S., & White, P. (2005). Self-care and
glycemic control in adolescents with type I diabetes. Children’s Health Care
34(3), 239-244. Retrieved November 17, 2008, from Ebscohost Database.
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