Healthy living with diabetes
Diabetes: In the Aboriginal Community
by Karina Hunter
Community Diabetes Educator Tammi Shaw (left) and Shelly Michano Community Health Nurse (right) with the new pamphlet display at a recent diabeted health fair in Pic River.
Pic
River residents living with diabetes have a new tool at their disposal, the
‘Diabetes: In the Aboriginal Community’ information pamphlet.
Since January 2010, the Pic River Health Centre, has conducted extensive research to assemble a comprehensive pamphlet, providing those diagnosed with diabetes with information and resources to facilitate long term health and wellness.
Information for the brochure was taken from the most up to date evidence based information with sources such as the Canadian Diabetes Association, the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative, Canada’s Food Guide, Public Health Agency of Canada, Dieticians of Canada, and Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology.
Based on the four components of the traditional aboriginal medicine wheel; mental health, physical health, emotional health and spiritual health the pamphlet is printed as a tri-fold brochure with inserts which are easily referenced.
Included in the printed materials is:
§ Contact information for local and regional, health and social services including those specific to diabetes care and treatment;
§ The community and Pic River Health Center’s vision and mission in regards to Diabetes prevention and education;
§ Foot care information – why it is important and how it can affect the health of those living with diabetes;
§ Information regarding depression – what it is, how it can affect those living with diabetes, signs and symptoms to watch for and more;
§ Resources, tips and safety concerns in regards to fitness and exercise for those living with diabetes;
§ Glucose self-monitoring information, education, tips and more;
§ Healthy eating information including how it helps and why, what it means and more;
§ Information about traditional healing in regards to diabetes;
§ Information about emotional stress including prevention, tips on dealing with stress and how it affects those living with diabetes
and more!
This is just a glimpse at some of the information included in these printed materials which will also be very useful to Pic River’s Community Diabetes Educator Tammi Shaw in her interactions with clients.
If you or a loved one are a Pic River resident living with diabetes or in need of diabetes screening, contact Community Health Nurse Shelly Michano, CDE Tammy Shaw or the Pic River Health Centre at 229-1836.
More Info
- Funding for this project was provided by the Northern Diabetes Health Network;
- Tammi Shaw is a lay person who has undergone training to provide support and information to Pic River residents dealing with Diabetes from the Pic River Health Centre
Links
- Pic River First Nations
- Northern Diabetes Health Network
- Canadian Diabetes Association
- Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative
- National Aboriginal Diabetes Association
- Get your copy of Canada’s Food Guide
- Public Health Agency of Canada
- Dieticians of Canada
- Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
Links provided courtesy of www.OntarioNewsNorth.com
