If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you’re far from alone. According to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention more than 30 million Americans have diabetes. That’s nearly 10 percent of the population.
While the statistics can seem overwhelming, there’s a lot you (or someone you love) can do to avoid complications, and live the healthy, long life you deserve. Whether you’re newly diagnosed, at high risk for complications or need a refresher on how to control your blood sugar, Holland Hospital can help you manage your diabetes—instead of letting it manage you.
If you don’t have diabetes but are at risk for it, preventive care, modest lifestyle changes and ongoing education can also go a long way toward improving your health and wellness
See what else Holland Hospital offers, click here to learn more.
What is Diabetes?
A diagnosis of type 1 diabetes means your pancreas is no longer capable of producing insulin. Therefore, it will be your responsibility to monitor your blood glucose (sugar) levels and administer the insulin your body needs. The majority of people with diabetes have type 2, which is associated with older age, increased weight, family history of the disease, previous history of gestational diabetes (diabetes in pregnancy), physical inactivity and ethnicity. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas usually makes enough insulin, but the body does not use it correctly.
Left untreated, diabetes can lead to serious complications, including heart disease, eye, kidney and nerve damage, skin conditions, and more.
It’s also estimated that 84 million Americans have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels rise above normal, but have yet to reach the level of diabetes. Prediabetes is a warning sign that type 2 diabetes may soon develop.
You can learn more about diabetes here.
Diabetes Care: Self-Management and Empowerment
If you have diabetes (or think you might), the first and best thing you can do is learn all you can about the condition. Being proactive with your disease and your lifestyle is critical to your long-term health.
Does managing your diabetes seem like a full-time job? Living with diabetes can be complicated, and life can easily get in the way of eating right, exercising, monitoring your blood sugar, taking your medications on schedule and visiting your doctor.
The good news is, we have a dedicated team to guide you every step of the way. Led by your primary care doctor, your diabetes care team may also incorporate the expertise of:
- Diabetes care & education specialists (registered nurses and registered dietitians)
- Mental health professionals
- Fitness trainers
Holland Hospital’s Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Program can give you the knowledge, tools and support you need to successfully manage your diabetes. And it’s good to know that most insurance companies will cover the cost of up to 10 hours of diabetes education and 2-3 hours of nutritional counseling for those newly diagnosed. Annual follow-up visits are also a covered service (2 hours of diabetes education and 2 hours of nutrition counseling). Deductibles and co-pays may apply.
Based on national standards developed by the American Diabetes Association, our program embraces a team approach that includes you, your loved ones, your primary care doctor and our certified diabetes care & education specialists. With you as our most valued partner, we can help you:
- Feel empowered to better manage your disease
- Lower health care costs due to improved symptom control
- Decrease your risk of eye, kidney and nerve damage, and cardiovascular disease
- Increase your energy level and independence
- Enhance your overall quality of life
One-on-one visits and group classes are available as part of our Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Program. Some of the topics covered include:
- Type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes overview
- Meal planning for blood sugar control
- Improving blood sugar through exercise
- Monitoring blood sugar levels and targets to reach
- Medication management
- Preventing short- and long-term diabetes complications
- Insulin therapy training and insulin pump therapy management
Call (616) 394-3273 for more information about the Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Program.
Diabetes Prevention Programs
Holland Hospital is one of few area locations to offer access to the National Diabetes Prevention Program, a program specifically designed for those at risk for, or already diagnosed with, prediabetes. Taught by a trained lifestyle coach, the program has been proven to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Our program is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-approved curriculum, and consists of 16 weekly sessions followed by six monthly sessions. Call (616) 394-3344 for more information and upcoming start dates or click here.
If a year-long program doesn’t fit your schedule, a great place to start your diabetes prevention journey is with our one-time diabetes prevention class. Click here for upcoming sessions.
Find out if you are at risk for Prediabetes.
See what else Holland Hospital offers, click here to learn more.