Diabetes Care Centers
What are Diabetes Care Centers?
These are centers where a diabetic can get all the care in disease management services in one location. These disease management services are specially tailored to meet individual patients’ needs. These centers have management programs which are led by dietitians, nurse practitioners, and nurses who specialize in diabetes care. Your medical doctor will refer a patient to these centers after the diagnosis of diabetes has been made.
After the referral is received, the diabetic is scheduled for first an initial assessment. Then follow-up care is provided either in a group or in individual setting. This is based on the diabetic’s needs and there insurance plan.
These centers are doing business under several different names and are the first health centers built especially for the unique needs of diabetes patients. All under one roof.
Some of these centers include:
- On-site physicians
- On-site diabetes educators
- On-site diagnostic lab testing
- Personalized complete diabetes care, under one roof
- One co-pay for same-day services
They provide best in class comprehensive, one-stop care, tailored to the needs of their patients, They are especially dedicated to assisting diabetics in understanding their condition, managing it and living a full life without becoming overwhelmed. They help the patients take control of their disease.
These centers offer many educational classes for their patients such as:
- Diabetes Education Classes
- Diabetes Case Management
- Diabetes Nutrition Clinic
- Diabetes Foot care Clinic
- Diabetes Support Group
This is where a diabetic can go and learn all about their disease, what management of the disease involves and other ways to help them to learn to live with a chronic disease.
They also meet in Nutrition Clinic classes where they learn the importance of a healthy diet that helps them to maintain or lose weight. Meal portions and break down of the food groups are also taught. Basically everything they need to know about diet, weight control and exercise.
They will also learn about how important self care of the feet is and why the feet are so prone to infections and other problems.
Most importantly, especially for newly diagnosed patients are the support groups which are offered. Being diagnosed as a diabetic can be overwhelming at first. There is so much to learn, so many areas that the patient is responsible for and all of these can often scare a patient a great deal. But in these support groups with people who have already gone thru the first phases, can be a tremendous resource for a new diabetic.
Basically, these care centers are places where diabetics can go to get help with any area of their disease. Places where they can make friends with people who have the same concerns and problems that they have. It is an oasis in a sea of confusion and fear.
These centers are springing up in larger communities and some smaller resources are also available in smaller communities. Asked you doctor about resources like this in your community as well as a referral.
