The Importance of Diabetes Educators

There are over 120 million people in the world with diabetes today and the World Health Organization expects that number to soar to 300 million by the year 2025. One out of every ten dollars spent on health care in the United States is doled out on diabetes and related complications. Further, diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death in America and the risk of death for folks with diabetes is twice that of people without the disease.

Diabetes is a serious disease and you need to be educated about it to survive it successfully. The above statistics reveal the prevalence of diabetes, as well as the potential costs and fatalities. However, many people live happy, fulfilling lives with diabetes because they have learned how to exist with the disease. Consider the many celebrities who live full lives with diabetes, including Mary Tyler Moore, Dick Clark, Patti LaBelle, Brett Michaels and Billie Jean King. Diabetes does not have to mean the quality of your life is over, it is simply a condition you need to recognize and deal with properly.

What is A Diabetes Educator?

A diabetes educator is a health professional such as a doctor, nurse, dietitian, social worker, pharmacist or exercise physiologist who specializes in the care and treatment of diabetic patients. A majority of diabetes educators are certified diabetes educators (CDE) who have met special criteria to care for people with diabetes because of the knowledge they have about the disease.

What is Diabetes Education?

Diabetes education is also referred to as diabetes self-management training. When a person has diabetes or is at risk for developing diabetes, it is important to learn all about diabetes. By educating yourself about diabetes, you acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to modify your actions to manage the disease and the other related conditions that may come with it. The goals of diabetes education are to improve your quality of life by achieving the best health possible and reduced expenses related to health care.

There is quite a bit to learn about diabetes, avoiding its complications and managing the disease effectively. Basically, diabetes education focuses on several behaviors that people can learn to do for themselves to improve their health including:

• Eat properly
• Engage in regular physical activity
• Monitor blood glucose levels
• Reduce risk factors
• Take medication if prescribed
• Cope with having diabetes
• Solve diabetes related problems

What Can A Diabetes Educator Do For You?

A diabetes educator is a trained professional with special knowledge about caring for and treating diabetics who can teach how to live with your disease. Diabetics may suffer from a myriad of other related health problems or conditions and a diabetic educator can also help with these issues.

Diabetes educators offer you comprehensive care to address your overall needs and well-being. They are counselors who educate you about healthy eating habits and the proper ways to incorporate physical activity into your daily habits. By teaching essential lifestyle changes, diabetes educators can greatly improve the quality of your everyday life.

Diabetes educators help to teach you how to use your medications or administer insulin and understand how it works. They will teach you how to monitor your blood glucose level so you can avoid further complications or conditions related to diabetes. Diabetes educators even assist you with the emotional aspects of adjusting to diabetes and living with significant lifestyle changes.

Why Is Diabetes Education Important?

Diabetics are at an increased risk for a plethora of health problems, including heart disease, gum disease, kidney disease, neurological difficulties and more. Learning how to detect potential problems and manage your condition is essential to your physical well-being and overall health.

A diabetes educator puts the complete focus on you – the diabetes patient. The diabetes education will get to know you and your individual lifestyle to help you determine the best way to attain success in achieving a healthy diabetic lifestyle. No matter what your everyday schedule is, your physical problems, your eating habits or your activities, a diabetic educator can help you work out your situation so it works well for you.

How are Diabetes Educators Recognized?

Who is Your Diabetes Team?

People with diabetes should have a team of professionals to assist them with their condition, including their treating physician, diabetes educator, eye doctor, dentist, podiatrist, social worker, nurse or nurse practitioner, dietitian, counselor, social worker, pharmacist, family and friends. The team will help you to realize your goals, avoid pitfalls and maintain the highest level of physical and emotional health possible.

Who Is the Most Important Member of Your Diabetes Team?

Last, but certainly not least, remember that you are the most important member of your diabetes team. Your efforts may begin with your treating physician and diabetes educator, but when you go home the rest is up to you. Making necessary lifestyle changes is not a choice when you have diabetes – it’s a necessity that can greatly improve the quality of your life.

Consider that the Diabetes Prevention Program study revealed that participants at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes reduced their risk of getting it by 58 percent through lifestyle changes. Severe risks related to diabetes such as amputation are actually up to 85 percent preventable with increased patient education. Diabetes educators can give you the essential knowledge, skills and tools to live a long, active and happy life with diabetes.

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