Referred for Diabetes Services? Be Brave, Take the Next Step December 16, 2019 If your primary care provider gave you the name of a diabetes educator or sent a referral to diabetes education, make the call! You’ll be one step closer to successfully managing your diabetes. If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes and you haven’t received a referral yet, don’t miss out. Ask your primary care provider for a referral. Managing diabetes is a team effort and the educators at each Samaritan hospital are there to help you. What’s In It for Me? Specialty care. Did you know diabetes educators are specialists in diabetes care? They are dietitians and nurses with specific training for patients with diabetes. Medication evaluation and management. We ensure you have the right medications working for you. Monitoring tips. Learn how to use blood glucose meters and apps that can help you better manage your diabetes. Nutrition plans. We can help you develop a plan specific to your needs. Supportive environment. Your team can offer support with coping with stress and problems related to diabetes care. Tools to help solve any barriers you might be facing. We also provide words of encouragement and praise with each of your successes. Resources. We can provide resources from reading lists to tools to help you track your progress. Classes, classes and more classes. We offer a variety of learning opportunities. Take advantage of our services if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes. We care! Topics to Cover with Your Team If you have an appointment scheduled with your local diabetes education team, bring your blood glucose meter and any questions you have. Here are a few topics that usually come up, but please feel free to add other questions to this list: How to test your blood sugar and what the numbers mean. How to take medication to get the best results. Meal planning and what foods to eat. Recognizing and managing neuropathy, which shows up as numbness, tingling or pain in your extremities. Recognizing foot issues early and taking care of your feet. Anything else that’s important to you. Find a Samaritan diabetes education team near you.
