The forgotten partner in the strategy to prevent and control diabetes.

There are many times when persons with diabetes become overwhelmed and do not feel that they have the ability or the support to take care of themselves in a manner conducive to a healthy lifestyle and wellbeing.

It may be because they lack knowledge or the skills necessary for proper self-management. This is where the diabetes educator comes in.

The diabetes educator is an individual who has completed a specialized educational program in the art and science of diabetes self-management education and skills training.

This program equips the diabetes educator to become a diabetes care and education specialist.

The diabetes educator with the learnt skills facilitate individualized managed plans for individuals affected by diabetes in order to equip them to take control of their own diabetes.

The diabetes educator helps their clients to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound) goals as they work towards their health behavior changes. They also help their clients to acquire skills which helps them to succeed. 

Diabetes is a complicated and serious disease (it is not as simple as eating healthy and exercising or taking medication to control it), the impacted individuals must make complicated choices after looking at a large amount of information daily.

The diabetes educator assists the individual to make the choices that are best for them by focusing on the seven strategic areas to help them manage their condition. They include eating healthy, being active, monitoring, taking medication, problem-solving, reducing risks and healthy coping.

The diabetes educator, along with the client, works together with the physician to ensure that the client is achieving their health goals and living their best life.

Diabetes educators help those living with diabetes to live their best life.