The 3½-day class is recommended for people who require insulin to control diabetes. This includes individuals with newly diagnosed or longstanding type 1 diabetes and many people with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes.
Participants attend classes on 4 consecutive days. The workshop meets for ½ day on Monday and all day the following Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. A family member is encouraged to attend.
Here’s what you will learn:
- Understand diabetes: its types, its causes and effects, and the goals of treatment
- Effective ways of managing lifestyle changes: exercise, diet, meal planning, weight management and prevention of low blood sugar
- How to manage insulin: principles of usage, modes of action, the best regimen, dose adjustments
- How to test blood sugar and ketones and develop skills for adjusting therapy
- How to prevent and manage potential complications, both acute and chronic
- How to recognize the psychosocial issues: emotional adjustment to diabetes mellitus, the role of family and support groups
Program outline
UCSF DIABETES TEACHING CENTER
3½-Day Program for Insulin Treated Diabetes*
Each day will allow for individual time to discuss diabetes care regimen with educators.
MONDAY: Check-in either at 8:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. (to be scheduled)
Each consultation will take approximately 1 hour:
- Diabetes-focused consultation and physical exam with an diabetologist
- Consultation with certified diabetes dietitian educator
- Consultation with certified diabetes nurse educator
TUESDAY: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Morning:
- Introductions/Educational needs assessment
- Goals of treatment
- Introduction to carbohydrates
- Counting carbohydrates using exchange lists
- Sweeteners and sugar substitutes
- Reading food labels
Afternoon:
Defining diabetes
- Types
- Causes
- Treatment
- New research
Medications
- Purposes, actions and interactions
- Over-the-counter medications
Individual
- Individual evaluation of diabetes management
- Consultation with physician/diabetologist
WEDNESDAY: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Morning:
Acute complications
- Problem solve Hyperglycemia/Hypoglycemia
- Diabetes ketoacidosis/sick day planning
- Problem solving with blood sugar records
Basal & Bolus insulin therapy
Afternoon:
- Review of carbohydrates
- Weight management
- Alcohol precautions
- Information on cholesterol and dietary fats
- Exercise guidelines
- Sodium recommendations
- Ketone physiology and management
Individual
- Individual evaluation of diabetes management
- Consultation with physician/diabetologist
THURSDAY: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Morning:
Acute complications
- Chronic complications including foot, skin and dental care
- What they are and preventive care strategies
- Preconception care, pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus
- Standards of care
- Diabetes Control and Complications Trial and United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study
- A1c measurements
Afternoon:
- Setting goals to improve diabetes management
- Review of questions
- Group discussion
- Family support
- Community resources
Individual
- Consultation with physician/diabetologist
- Individual evaluation of diabetes management
Course outline subject to change, depending upon class needs.