Diabetes Education
Our experienced team help manage the complexities of all types of diabetes.
About diabetes education
The Active One Diabetes Clinic is led by an experienced team of Credentialled Diabetes Nurse Educators (CDNEs). Our CDNEs are nurses who have undertaken extensive further education and training. They work closely with you, your doctor and specialist (Endocrinologist) to help you better understand your condition, the lifestyle factors that impact upon it, and provide suggestions to your medical team on medication adjustments or changes. These changes may be suggested on the basis of your results from a 24 hour Continuous Glucose Monitor (for 7 days).
Our philosophy is about improving our clients’ understanding of the multitude of factors that impact on diabetes and empowering them to take action, to follow an individualised plan, and to improve the self-management of their condition.
As leaders in diabetes education, our CDNEs must maintain continuing professional education and adhere to the Australian Diabetes Educator Associations Code of Conduct to provide diabetes education.
A Team Approach
Not only are our CDNEs highly educated and experienced, but we also have a whole team of experts in their field, working on site to help our clients improve their diabetes management. In addition to CDNEs, our diabetes team includes Dietitians, Podiatrists, Exercise Physiologists, Occupational Therapists and a Complex Wound Service.
Having all these great services in the one location allows us to work collaboratively to ensure we all understand the client’s needs, goals and motivations. It also means our clients can access these services back to back in a 2 or 3-hour block of time.
Our services include Pre-Diabetes (IGT) Education, Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Management, Pregnancy and Gestational Diabetes Management, Blood Glucose Monitoring including Continuous Glucose Monitoring, Complication Management, Insulin Pumps and Carb Counting.
Active One CDNEs have an extensive knowledge of all the latest diabetes management technologies. These technologies, like Continuous Glucose Monitoring, can be used to gather crucial information like the effectiveness of insulin and medications (including the type, timing and dosages) and the impact certain foods, stress, sleep or exercise have on diabetes management.
This information is used to titrate medication (in consultation with your GP or Endocrinologist) and to create an individualised lifestyle plan.
Pre-Diabetes Education
Our diabetes educators offer support and information to clients who have been diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a precursor to the development of Type 2 Diabetes, where the blood glucose levels are raised above normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. This is a crucial time to be informed on how to prevent Type 2 diabetes and the action you can take.
Type 2 Diabetes Management
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin, or the insulin produced isn’t effective. Although its key causes are unclear, lifestyle and family history appear to be contributing factors.
Nearly 90% of all cases of diabetes are Type 2, and most situations can be managed by regular physical activity and healthy eating. However, as it is often progressive, most people will need oral medications and/or insulin injections in addition to these lifestyle changes over time.
Type 1 Management
Type 1 Diabetes occurs when the body stops producing insulin altogether. This usually happens when the body’s own immune system attacks and destroys the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. People with Type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin injections, or use an insulin pump to survive.
Type 1 diabetes is usually first diagnosed in children and young adults, although it may be diagnosed into adulthood. Currently it accounts for 10 – 15 percent of diabetes cases in Australia1. Our CDNEs assist people with type 1 Diabetes daily, enhancing their management of the condition to allow them to lead a normal and fulfilling life.
Pregnancy and Gestational Diabetes
We offer a comprehensive Pregnancy & Gestational Diabetes Education service at Active One with the sole focus being on helping our clients achieve a healthy pregnancy. These consultations may include things like how to monitor and control blood glucose levels, education on the relationship between diabetes and pregnancy, insulin education and adjustment as required, and ongoing support/monitoring throughout the pregnancy with post-delivery follow-up.
Complication Management
Diabetes is a complex condition with the complications affecting many parts of a person’s body, including their mental health. The potential complications of diabetes are the same for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Complications of diabetes include heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, amputation, depression, anxiety and distress.
However, with an early diagnosis, our CDNEs can help our clients with optimal treatment, and with ongoing support and management we can reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications.
Insulin Pump Therapy
Our educators are very experienced in Insulin Pump Therapy for diabetes management. Insulin pump education can include choosing the right insulin pump for you, managing the transition to pump therapy, carbohydrate education which is required for the pump, support and on-going education on all areas of diabetes education with the pump (travel, sick days, high & low blood glucose levels).
Carb Counting
A key component of managing an insulin regime is learning to “Carb Count”. Calculating carbohydrate intake and the necessary insulin dose can be challenging, however with the support of our experienced Dietitians, you will learn how.
This service can improve the management of your diabetes (when on insulin or medications that increase insulin secretion) and in doing so, may improve your health and quality of life. People that utilise this service are typically newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, have type 2 diabetes but are moving onto insulin or someone who is starting to use an insulin pump.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring
Continuous Blood glucose monitoring is available using the latest technology to record your blood glucose levels continuously, with glucose readings taken every 5 minutes, 24 hours per day for 7 days.
This information allows both the person with diabetes and the health professionals to understand blood glucose levels and what things can influence their blood glucose control. The information gives an insight and knowledge into the person with diabetes blood glucose control, which can improve treatment and management via knowledge, medication and lifestyle changes. This tool in management can improve people’s quality of life, decreasing low and high blood glucose levels leading to a more stable blood glucose level over a 24-hour period.
The Continuous Glucose Monitor is fully funded (whereby a patient is on insulin).