Diabetic Teaching Tools

The first thing to remember when educating a patient with diabetes is to educate them about the condition. Occasionally, a patient's first reaction can be panic, feeling lost, frightened, or confused. It's important to reassure them that if managed properly, people with diabetes can live a long and productive life.

The second is to begin to encourage them to change habits and focus on a healthier lifestyle while also taking advantage of diabetes education teaching tools.

• Understand the patients' lifestyle. The better one understands the patients' lifestyle the better they can be educated.
• Create and plan to help understand what will work and what will not for the patient during their lifestyle change.
• Encourage patients to take it one day at a time, and not all at once.
• Printed materials and books are excellent references for both educators and patients alike.
• Diet journals, exercise trackers, blood sugar logs, medication logs, and portion control assistance are equally essential in educating patients.

Apart from diabetes education teaching tools, people with diabetes also use a wide variety of equipment tailored to the severity and needs of their diabetes as well as their age and health issues. Some of the most important and common equipment that people with diabetes use are:

• Glucose monitors
• Glucose test strips
• Urinalysis tests
• A1C tests
• Blood pressure monitors
• Blood Glucose trackers
• Meal trackers and planners
• Diabetic pumps and pump supplies
• Lancets and lancing devices
• Insulin syringes
• Insulin
• Foot care equipment
• Food logging and portion control assistants

Essential diabetes education teaching tools aren't the only thing needed for new patients. Certain topics should be included and reiterated in teaching a new patient during discharge:

• Ensuring the patient knows and is aware of the risks of hypoglycemia.
• Ensuring the patient knows the signs and symptoms as well as treatment of hypoglycemia.
• Confirmation patient or caregiver has access to treatment of hypoglycemia at their home, such as quick-acting carbohydrates and glucagon if needed.
• Ensure patient has and knows how to use a glucose meter.
• If the patient is using a ketone meter, ensure the patient understands how and when to use it - diabetes education teaching tools can play a huge role here.
• Ensure patient has or has access to needed diabetic supplies such as diabetic testing equipment, pen needles, insulin pumps, and syringes.
• If the patient is suffering from diabetic foot disease: confirmation that their diabetes specialist team are aware of the discharge, that the patient has antibiotics, confirm the number of days' worth of dressings has been provided, they have a podiatry appointment and are part of the diabetic foot clinic.
• All patients with diabetes during discharge should have a review of their discharge summary, have received detailed discharge counseling especially on any altered doses of medication to ensure no errors are introduced. They should also have a care plan, follow-up plans and receive a return of all discharge medication, including the return of the patient's medicine and insulin from the fridge.