The Diabetes Program is a fun, skill-building program designed to help individuals take day-to-day responsibility for their diabetes care. Participants learn to self-manage their diabetes and work effectively with health care providers. The program is accredited with AADE as an evidence-based program based on 7 health care behavior goals that will help you manage your diabetes.

Anyone with diabetes type 1, type 2 or type 1.5, or family members, friends, or care-givers of a person with diabetes who is also attending the program. Patients with gestational diabetes can also benefit.

The Diabetes Program offers one, daytime and one, evening class taught by a certified diabetes educator, diabetes registered nurse and diabetes registered dietitian. A physician’s referral is required. Once you have received a referral, let the Stillwater Medical Center staff know which class you want and they will register you.

Topics included in the program are:
• Healthy eating with diabetes/meal planning/food label identification
• Goal identification and action-planning
• Understanding diabetes, monitoring blood sugar and routine tests
• Decreasing stress and relaxation strategies
• Dealing with the difficult emotions of chronic disease
• Managing your medications
• Finding physical activities you can enjoy
• Preventing and delaying the potential complications of diabetes
• Effectively communicating with family, friends and health care professionals