On Tuesday, November 6, 2018, Speare Primary Care and White Mountain Eye Care and Optical will be hosting their free Annual Diabetes Day event to raise awareness about diabetes. The event will feature diabetes education/information from Speare Wound Care ,Pemi Baker Home Health & Hospice, Speare Dietary, White Mountain Eye Care, and Speare Primary Care, light refreshments, and a raffle.
American Diabetes Month takes place each November. Here are just a few of the recent statistics on diabetes:
- Nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes.
- Another 86 million Americans have pre-diabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
- The American Diabetes Association estimates that the total national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $322 billion.
Essentially, diabetes is about the body’s ability (or lack of it) to produce the required amount of a hormone called insulin to control glucose levels in the blood. There are broadly two types of diabetes: Type 1 requires daily administration of artificial insulin by means of injection or insulin pump. Type 2 is more generally managed by a combination of dietary control and medication in the form of tablets.
It’s very important that people with diabetes maintain good control of their condition to help reduce and avoid long-term complications, and there have been huge advances in this area over recent years. However, it is vitally important that development work continues, to ensure people with the condition can live as normal a life as possible.
Diabetes concerns every family
Over 425 million people are currently living with diabetes. Most of these cases are type 2 diabetes, which is largely preventable through regular physical activity, a healthy and balanced diet, and the promotion of healthy living environments. Families have a key role to play in addressing the modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes and must be provided with the education, resources, and environments to live a healthy lifestyle.
1 in 2 people currently living with diabetes is undiagnosed. Most cases are type 2 diabetes. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to prevent the complications of diabetes and achieve healthy outcomes. All families are potentially affected by diabetes and so awareness of the signs, symptoms and risk factors for all types of diabetes are vital to help detect it early.
Diabetes can be expensive for the individual and family. In many countries, the cost of insulin injection and daily monitoring alone can consume half of a family’s average disposable income, and regular and affordable access to essential diabetes medicines are out of reach for too many. Improving access to affordable diabetes medicines and care is, therefore, urgent to avoid increased costs for the individual and family, which impact on health outcomes.
Less than 1 in 4 family members have access to diabetes education programmes. Family support in diabetes care has been shown to have a substantial effect on improving health outcomes for people with diabetes. It is therefore important that ongoing diabetes self-management education and support be accessible to all people with diabetes and their families to reduce the emotional impact of the disease that can result in a negative quality of life.
Exhibitors included: Catholic Medical Center Vein & Vascular Specialists, Comfort Keepers, Golden View Health Care Center, Home Instead Senior Care, Mid-State Health Center, Speare’s Nutrition team, Pemi Baker Community Health, Plymouth Senior Center, Plymouth Law Center, Speare Pulmonary Rehab, Speare Radiology, RehabFit, Rite Aid, Interlakes Theatre, RSVP Bone Builders, Speare Sleep Lab, Sound Advice Hearing Centers, Speare Primary Care, Speare Volunteer Opportunities, Transport Central, and White Mountain Eye Care
