Diabetes self-management education is an important part of your treatment plan. You can become pro-active in managing your condition. Learn how to incorporate meal planning, physical activity and medication, and prevention of complications into your individual lifestyle.
Many classes require an order or referral from your primary care provider. Medicare, as well as most insurance plans, cover diabetes self-management education, but it is important to check your individual policy. To register for classes or for individual appointments, call the Joslin Diabetes Center affiliate at (603) 577-5760.
- Reducing Your Risk For Diabetes
Are you at risk for developing diabetes? Do you have pre-diabetes or a glucose intolerance? In this class, you will learn from registered dietitians how to reduce your risk factors, the elements of meal planning and the amount of exercise you should build into your weekly routine. The class will be held regularly on the first Tuesday of every other month from 9:00-11:00 am. Where: Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, 29 Northwest Boulevard, Nashua, NH.
- Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby
Designed to help women with gestational diabetes take action to ensure the best outcome for their babies, this class is taught by certified diabetes educators, including nurses and dietitians, who provide individual follow-up.
- Diabetes Today
If you have just been diagnosed with diabetes or would like a refresher course, this class is designed for you. It is a series of three, two-hour classes that build on the previous class.
-Class 1: On the Road to Better Managing Your Diabetes. Taught by a registered nurse, it covers many of the basic concepts you need to know as it relates to diabetes and self- management: what is diabetes, monitoring blood glucose, introduction to meal planning, symptoms of high and low blood glucose.
-Class 2: Diabetes and Healthy Eating. Taught by a registered dietitian, this class is a more detailed discussion about the connection between food and diabetes and the importance of healthy eating as it relates to managing your diabetes.
-Class 3: Continuing Your Journey with Diabetes. Taught by a registered nurse, this class covers more complex concepts related to diabetes, including the natural course of diabetes medication options, what insulin is and how it works, long term complications of diabetes, reducing the risk for complications, and knowing your ABCs (A1c, blood pressure and cholesterol target).
- Insulin Pump Program
Starting on an insulin pump requires careful screening and training. Our pump program begins with an individual appointment with a registered nurse/certified diabetes educator (RN, CDE) to review basic diabetes management skills and begin discussion on the various pump options that are available. Based upon this appointment, a referral may be made to the registered dietitian/certified diabetes educator (RD, CDE) to discuss carbohydrate counting if needed. Once the decision is made to start insulin pump therapy and the pump is received, you will have several individual appointments with your Diabetes Educator to learn how to use the pump, initiate insulin therapy via the pump, and learn advanced pump features. In addition, once insulin is started via the pump, you will have frequent contact with the educator who started your pump, for ongoing adjustments to achieve blood glucose control.