Diabetes

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  • This community has 137 clients identified with diabetes - this is 14% of our population.
  • The national average for Canada is 2.6%.

The diabetes educator is geared towards prevention of complications for this clientele. She provides grocery store tours, cooking workshops, challenges and one-on-one counseling for diabetes care. She also took 8 diabetic clients to Sudbury for a Live Smart Expo in September. She also does referrals for ophthalmologist referrals with the local doctor’s clinic yearly.

Foot Care

Foot care is offered to all diabetic clients with the bulk being seen by nursing staff at the health centre. Podiatry inserts are available from a local service provider who comes to the clinic once a month.

Optometrist

There is also the services of an optometrist once a month to community members here at the health centre. Lab hours are provided at the clinic twice a week for community clients with requisitions from their family doctors or nurse practitioner.

Challenges

Some of the challenges faced by our program include a shortage of local doctors with the Mindemoya clinic. This shortage affects many of our community members with chronic diseases that require frequent follow-ups.

Another concern is the increase in the abuse of prescription drugs, particularly with our youth. The interim alternatives worker utilized resources from Sudbury and the Action Centre with youth peer leaders coming in to our alternative high school sites to educate about prescription drug misuse. It continues to be a real concern in our community and the Nursing team has been a participant in the Drug Strategy meetings hosted by Healthy Lifestyles. The nursing team also continues to provide Medicine cabinet cleanups in the community.

Another challenge facing our team is the dependence of many of our community members on the health team to “take care” of their needs. It is a real proactive approach from all of our staff to try and encourage self care for our clientele. Encouraging our clients to call in their own medications, book their follow-up appointments with their caregivers and follow up on recommendations from the health team is an ongoing effort. Some of the resources available are not as well utilized as they should be, including the dietitian that comes to our health centre twice a week for individual consultation.

Our nursing team continues to collaborate with each other and other local programs to provide as much support for our community members in their pursuit of good health. We really are “Partners in Promoting Healthy Lifestyles” for M’Chigeeng.