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Diabetes Awareness Course

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Course Objectives

At the end of the session learners will:

Understand what diabetes is and its prevalence in the UK
Know the cause of diabetes, the symptoms and how it is diagnosed
Know what the main types of diabetes are
Understand how diabetes is treated and how it can be prevented
Have an awareness of complications that can be caused through diabetes
Understand the importance of supporting people with a diabetes
Implement diabetes awareness measures in the workplace.

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What is diabetes?

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Common Symptoms of Diabetes:

Going to the toilet a lot, especially at night
Being excessively thirsty
Feeling more tired than usual
Losing weight without trying to
Genital itching or thrush
Cuts and wounds take longer to heal
Blurred vision.

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Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM)

This is a type of diabetes that arises during

pregnancy (usually during the second or third

trimester)

Some women can develop GDM during the first

trimester - in these women the condition most

likely existed before the pregnancy.

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Diabetes Awareness

Risk factors that increase the chance of a person developing Type 2 diabetes:

Age
Family History
Ethnicity
Weight
Waist Circumference
High blood pressure / history of heart attack or stroke
Pregnancy and polycystic ovary syndrome.

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Diabetes Awareness

Treating Diabetes:

Diabetes is best managed through a combination of diet, physical activity and medication.

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Exercise:

Eating Well with Diabetes.

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Moving more reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes as it will help a person to:

Reduce their waist size
Reduce blood pressure
Manage stress and help them sleep.

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Diabetes Monitoring

The monitoring of blood glucose, blood pressure and lipid levels are crucial for preventing diabetes complications and maintaining the health of people with diabetes

Some aspects of diabetes monitoring can be done by the individual and some would be monitored by their healthcare team.

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Cholesterol measurement
Serum creatinine measurement
Smoking status
BMI
Foot examination
Blood pressure measurement
HbA1c measurement
Urine albumin measurement
Eye screening.

Diabetes Awareness

NICE recommends that adults with diabetes should participate in annual care planning which leads to documented agreed goals and an action plan. This includes:

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Diabetes Complications

Short-term complications:

Hypoglycaemia
Hyperglycaemia
Hyperosmolar Hyperglycaemic State (HHS)
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)
Managing diabetes when unwell

Long-term complications:

Cardiovascular disease
Retinopathy
Nephropathy
Neuropathy.

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First Aid for Diabetic Emergencies

First Aid Basic Life Support is part of the series of courses where you will be receiving training. The details being explained in this section regarding diabetic emergencies compliment this basic life support training.

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Impact of Diabetes

Emotional
Lifestyle
Driving
Insurance
Employment
Family Planning.

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Diabetes Awareness

Supporting People with Diabetes

In this section we will concentrate on support for people with diabetes from healthcare staff. The advice given though will be helpful for anyone trying to support a person with a diabetes condition

Including looking at the SMART approach to setting goals for lifestyle changes.

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Diabetes Awareness

Implementing Diabetes

Policy & Procedures

Discuss any policies and procedures relating to diabetes that have been implemented or need to be introduced within the working environment.