Diabetes Education Class and Support Group Available in Lake County

Diabetes education plays an important role in helping diagnosed patients improve their health and avoid potential complications associated with the disease. If left unmanaged, diabetes can cause harmful complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, vision loss or stoke. In fact, according to the American Diabetes Association, many of these complications are preventable with early diagnosis and self -management. One in three U.S. adults have prediabetes, where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. With early self-management, the progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes can be delayed or prevented. Florida Hospital Waterman offers a Diabetes Self-Management course to help the community access the educational tools and information they need to manage their diabetes daily and make positive lifestyle changes.

The presence of diabetes in Lake County has been growing every year since 2002, and currently affects more than 13% of the community, which is higher than the state average, said Candace Huber Direction of Mission Development. Education is the most important tool we can utilize to help our community address this disease. With proper nutrition, medication, exercise and monitoring, patients can maintain optimal wellness and achieve a higher quality of life despite this disease.

The Diabetes Self-Management course is designed for those with pre-diabetes or diabetes, as well as for those needing help managing their diabetes care plan. The course includes: understanding diabetes, carbohydrate management and meal planning, exercise planning, blood glucose monitoring, managing and preventing complications and information on how making these lifestyle changes can improve overall health. Classes are taught by a Certified Diabetes Educator and Professional Health Educator. The tuition is only $35.00 for this 5 session course, including all materials, booklets and handouts. Classes are held on Mondays from 5-7pm on a frequent schedule throughout the year and the next course begins January 8^th.

Florida Hospital Waterman also hosts a Diabetes Support Group with sessions led by a Certified Diabetes Educator and A Registered Dietitian. Anyone with a diagnosis of pre-diabetes or diabetes, as well as diabetic caregivers are welcome to attend. This support group meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 5-6 pm, and is free. For more information on this support group and to register for the Diabetes Self-Management course or other course offerings, visit www.ConryCreationHealth.com.