TOMS RIVER – Since August, hundreds of Ocean County residents are finding help and valuable resources to live better through the Diabetes Self-Management and Education Support Program (DSMES).
About 400 residents – including senior living centers and school nurses – have used the program and its three educational sessions. It consists of four, 2-hour classes and gives an evidence-based foundation to empower people with diabetes to help guide self-management decisions and activities.
“The Ocean County Health Department wants to remind people that diabetes is a condition that can be managed,” Ocean County Public Health Coordinator/Health Officer Daniel Regenye said. “By living a healthy lifestyle filled with regular exercise and proper diet, you can live an active healthy life and our DSMES program is designed to help set you up with the support and tools you’ll need. We also encourage individuals with diabetes who would be considered high risk to get vaccinated for COVID-19 and seasonal flu.”
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), about 10 % of the U.S. population has either type 1 or type 2 diabetes but have accounted for 40% of those who have died from COVID-19. The risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 is likely to be lower if your diabetes is well managed.
The DSMES program involves Registered Dieticians and a Certified Diabetes and Care and Education Specialist who present “seven standards of care,” guiding individuals them through self-management and help them establish their own goals to improve their diabetes.
The seven standards of care include:
- Healthy Eating
- Being Active
- Taking Medication
- Monitoring
- Problem Solving
- Healthy Coping
- Reducing Risks
“We’ve been so pleased with the early turnout for this program and continue to encourage those individuals living with this condition to participate in the Diabetes Self-Management, Education, and Support program,” OCHD Clinical Nutritionist MS, RDN Meg McCarthy-Klein said. “The ultimate goal of the DSMES program is to give people living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes the necessary education and resources they can use to lead a better quality of life.”
For more information about the Diabetes Self-Management, Education and Support (DSMES) program and upcoming classes, call 732-341-9700, ext. 7237 or ext. 7235.
For more information about diabetes and National Diabetes Month, visit the Ocean County Health Department website at ochd.org or niddk.nih.gov.
