THUNDER BAY – Healthbeat – The Centre for Complex Diabetes Care (CCDC) provides expert care for patients experiencing complications related to diabetes. Thanks to a Family CARE (Care Advancements Recommended by Employees) Grant from the Volunteer Association and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, managing diabetes just got a lot less ‘complex’.
This recent Family CARE Grant, one out of 49 awarded this year, went directly towards the purchase of four Type 2 Diabetes Model Sets for staff to use with patients and their families.
“The sets are essentially 3-dimensional teaching models that can be used to educate patients and families about the effects associated with Type 2 Diabetes, including stroke, eye disease, hypertensive heart disease, kidney disease, and damaging of the nerves,” said Lise Belliveau, Registered Dietician.
The models include a miniature brain, eye, heart, kidney, artery, pancreas, neuron, and foot. They will be used in the CCDC exam rooms and through the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) videoconferencing network.
“The use of the models will enable patients and families to better self-manage their health, and will help the interdisciplinary team effectively teach patients in the region through videoconferencing,” Belliveau said.
This educational process aligns well with best practices in patient education. It is expected to assist patients and families to better understand the interconnectedness of their health, allowing them to develop stronger positive lifestyle behaviours.
“These teaching models will have a significant and positive impact on patients and their families by providing a visual to help them better understand the ‘big picture’,” Belliveau said. “We’re grateful to the Volunteer Association and the Health Sciences Foundation’s Family CARE Grants for making it possible.”
In the picture: Lise Belliveau, Registered Dietitian with the Centre for Complex Diabetes Care (CCDC) demonstrates how the “Type 2 Diabetes Sets” are used to educate patients and families on the effects associated with diabetes.