Diabetes Complications
Diabetes can cause problems in any part of your body. The good news is that people with diabetes can prevent or delay most of these problems by keeping their blood sugar (glucose) under control, eating healthy, being physically active, working with their health care provider to keep blood pressure and cholesterol under control, getting the necessary screening tests, and stopping the use of cigarettes and tobacco.
What You Can Do:
Use the Diabetes Complications presentation and the supporting materials to help your employees learn how to best manage their diabetes. This is part of an eight-lesson series that provides up-to-date diabetes information and tools for your employees. Offer Understanding Diabetes first; the remaining seven presentations can be offered in any order. All eight diabetes management lesson plans and supporting PowerPoint slides can be found on Diabetes at Work under Quick Links/Lesson Plans.
Three lesson plans about diabetes prevention can also be found under Quick Links/Lesson Plans. Plan now to offer all eight management and three diabetes prevention lessons to your employees.
Review this presentation guide and the associated PowerPoint presentation and gather the handouts a few days before the session.
Gather information about your company’s vision, foot care, and dental benefits as well as smoking cessation programs and benefits to share with participants.
Encourage your employees with diabetes to ask their health care provider for a referral to a diabetes self-management education program, preferably an American Diabetes Association Recognized Education Program or a program accredited by the American Association of Diabetes Educators.
Share additional Diabetes at Work resources with your employees.
Presentation Objectives:
/ Employees willIdentify steps that they can take to prevent and manage diabetes-related eye, dental, foot, nerve, and kidney complications.
Know how diabetes medicines affect diabetes control.
Understand how smoking increases the risk of diabetes-related complications.
Presentation Outline:
The PowerPoint slides follow this outline. / I. Discussion TopicsA. Common diabetes-related complications
B. Diabetes medicines
C. Smoking and diabetes
II. Eye Health
A. How diabetes can harm your eyes
B. Common eye diseases
C. Tips to keep your eyes healthy
III. Dental Health
A. How diabetes can harm your teeth
B. Common dental problems
C. Tips to keep your teeth healthy
IV. Foot Health
A. How diabetes can harm your feet
B. Tips to keep your feet healthy
V. Nerve Health
A. Diabetic neuropathy
B. Tips to keep your nerves healthy
VI. Kidney Health
A. Nephropathy
B. Tips to keep your kidneys healthy
VII. Manage Your Medicines
VIII. Don’t Smoke
IX. Managing Your Diabetes Every Day
X. Your Diabetes Care Record
XI. Learning About Diabetes
Time Required:
/ 30 minutesAudio visual:
/ PowerPoint presentation, laptop/projectorHandouts:
/ Tips to Help You Stay Healthy with Diabetes. This handout includes a Diabetes Care Record for recording the dates and results of tests and checkups.Healthy Eyes Matter! This handout provides tips to keep your eyes healthy.
Healthy Teeth Matter! This handout provides tips to keep your teeth healthy.
Healthy Feet Matter! This handout provides tips to keep your feet healthy.
I Can Control My Diabetes By Working With My Health Care Team! This handout provides guidance on working with your pharmacist, podiatrist, eye care provider, and dental care provider.
All Medicines Matter! This handout provides tips to manage your medicines when you have diabetes.
Smoking and Diabetes. This handout provides information on the impact of smoking and diabetes.
Activity:
/ Participants use the Diabetes Care Record found in Tips to Help You Stay Healthy with Diabetes to identify tests and checkups they need to discuss with their health care team.For More Information:
/ Find additional information and resources atNational Diabetes Education Program
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)