| The Gaston Gazette
For people with type 2 diabetes, good medical care is only half the battle. Equally important is their ability to make healthy decisions, follow their doctor’s recommendations, and take care of their condition.
Living Healthy With Diabetes, a workshop being offered in Gaston County, will teach people with type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes to do just that.
Participants may experience less stress, fewer complications, more energy, and fewer hospital stays.
The workshop is aimed at adults of all ages with diabetes. The workshop will be held at the Gaston County Seniors Center and will begin on Monday May 3rd and will last through June 7th.
There is a significant need for support for people with diabetes, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified as the most common, costly, and preventable of all US health problems.
Diabetes is also the leading cause of death and disability, responsible for 7 in 10 deaths each year.
“The good news,” says instructor Farrell Breithaupt, who is also a type 2 diabetic, “is that people who know how to take care of their diabetes can live successfully with their disease.”
“The” Healthy Living with Diabetes “workshops are a wonderful addition to medical care,” said Breithaupt. “They’re equipping people to live well outside of the doctor’s office so they can get the most of their treatment and lead the lives they want.”
Workshops on the topic of “Living healthy with diabetes” are held in six two and a half hour weekly sessions.
You will be taught by two certified executives. One or both of them are non-health experts who suffer from diabetes themselves and lead the workshop from their own experience.
“It’s amazing to see the changes happen after people go through the workshop,” says Ellen Fenters. “People are more confident, energetic and have a new support system that helps them lead healthier lives.”
During the six-week session, attendees receive support from trained leaders and other workshop participants, learn practical ways to deal with stress and fatigue, learn about healthy diet and exercise options, foot care, relaxation techniques, and learn better ways to communicate about their diabetes condition with Doctors and family members, problem solving and goal setting.
Living Healthy With Diabetes was initiated by the Stanford University Patient Education Research Center and supported by the NC Center for Health and Wellness at UNC Asheville.
The state’s goal is to bring healthy options within reach for all North Carolinians. Providing these self-management workshops can help ensure that people with chronic diseases like diabetes receive the support they need to access these options and live well.
