Sessions help people reduce stress, prevent complications, increase energy, be in control of their health
For people with type 2 diabetes, good medical care is just half of the equation. Equally important is their ability to make healthy decisions, follow their health care team’s recommendations, and take care of their condition.
Healthy Living with Diabetes, a workshop offered in Merrill, teaches people with type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes to do just that. Participants have less stress, fewer complications, more energy and fewer hospitalizations. It is for adults of all ages who have diabetes. The workshop is offered at the Lincoln County Service Center Building, 801 N. Sales St. (Rm 156), and will be offered on Thursdays, March 23-April 27 from 1-3:30 p.m.
There’s a significant need for support for people with diabetes, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls the most common, costly and preventable of all U.S. health problems. They are also the leading causes of death and disability, responsible for seven out of 10 deaths each year.
The good news is that people who know how to take care of their diabetes can live successfully with their disease. The Healthy Living with Diabetes workshops are a wonderful complement to medical care, equipping people to live well outside the doctor’s office so they can make the most of their treatment and live the lives they want.
Healthy Living with Diabetes workshops are delivered in six two-and-a-half-hour weekly sessions. They are taught by two certified leaders; either one or both are non-health professionals who have diabetes themselves and will lead the workshop from their own experience.
During the six-week session, participants receive support from trained leaders and other workshop participants, learn practical ways to manage their stress and fatigue, learn about healthy eating and exercise options, foot care, relaxation techniques, learn better ways to communicate about their diabetes condition with doctors and family members, problem-solving and goal-setting.
Healthy Living with Diabetes was created by Stanford University’s Patient Education Research Center and is supported by the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging. The state’s goal is to put healthy options within reach for all Wisconsinites, and offering these self-management workshops is a way to ensure that people with chronic diseases like diabetes have the support they need to access those options and live well.
Pre-registration is required for this workshop. For further information or to pre-register, please call Jennifer Clark, Community Health Educator with the Aging and Disability Resource Center at 715-536-0311.