A new practical guide is being launched tomorrow during National Diabetes Week to empower people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. This will help them make informed health decisions, manage their condition and reduce the risk of preventable diabetes complications.
Diabetes for Smarties encompasses essential diabetes self-management information. Generally, to receive this information, multiple appointments would be required with a Credentialed Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a Dietitian.
Diabetes is Australia's fastest growing chronic disease, with a person being diagnosed every 5 minutes on average. Type 2 diabetes makes up about 90% of all cases in Australia, and is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation if not managed effectively.
With diabetes cases on the rise and an overextended healthcare system, many patients don't have the opportunity to attend the consults and receive the information they need. Faced with this constant dilemma, the team at Driving Diabetes knew that something needed to be done to bridge the gap.
"Although there's more than 422 million people with type 2 diabetes worldwide, the seriousness of this chronic disease is still not understood by many. Only a small percentage of people with type 2 diabetes are adequately informed about how to self-manage their condition. Exposed to the tsunami of newly diagnosed people with type 2 diabetes, we were driven to create our essential guide appropriate for all people with type 2 diabetes. We've taken the first step in reaching as many people as possible, to provide them with crucial information and help reduce their risks of potentially life-threatening complications", said Driving Diabetes Co-Founder, Ms Helen Jackson.
"With over 30 years (combined experience) helping people with type 2 diabetes, we've seen that very few get the number of appointments they need to understand their condition well and confidently manage it. There's an overwhelming amount of information available which can create confusion and distress when searching for answers. A lot of books on diabetes are generally about cures and diets, but not practical advice. We wanted to fill this gap and provide people with practical, evidence-based content to help them make informed decisions about their condition and stay healthy long term", said Ms Amanda Fryer, Driving Diabetes Co-Founder.
"Diabetes for Smarties delivers important information simply, helping people with type 2 diabetes understand why they have this condition and what they can do to stay healthy. Sometimes only small changes are needed to get started on the right track and this book will point them in the right direction", added Ms Fryer.
Driving Diabetes helps people become the drivers of their diabetes. It was founded in 2019 by CDE's Ms Helen Jackson, Dietitian, and Ms Amanda Fryer, RN. The primary objective of the book is to assist people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, especially those in rural and remote communities, and those without access to diabetes education services, to live healthy lives and minimise the risk of preventable complications.
Ongoing additional support from Driving Diabetes is available via telehealth appointments and a private online diabetes community where they can have questions answered by credentialed diabetes educators and dietitian.
Driving Diabetes also provides education, resources and support to other health professionals and staff in aged care facilities who are providing care for patients and residents with diabetes, with many already expressing interest in Diabetes for Smarties prior to its completion.
Diabetes for Smarties is over 120 pages in colour, includes tips, visuals and templates to make life easier. Available tomorrow for purchase as an e-book for $14.95. Preorders are being taken for hard copies at a launch special price of $24.95.
