Supporting patients living with diabetes
Alfred Health has a team of more than a dozen nurses whose sole focus is on treating and educating patients who are living with diabetes.
“Approximately 80 people are diagnosed with diabetes every day in Victoria,” said Emma Netzer, Diabetes Clinical Nurse Consultant. “It’s a condition that usually requires life-long management and, to reduce the risk of long-term complications, we tailor the care and management for every patient.”
This World Diabetes Day, our diabetes educators are encouraging people to talk to their doctors about screening, especially if they have a family history of the condition.
“Early symptoms can be mild so it’s often not until a complication presents that help is sought,” said Ms Netzer. “At any one time, we estimate there are 125,000 Victorians who have undiagnosed diabetes.”
Alfred Health Diabetes Educators also encourage patients to bring a loved one or friend along to their consultations for support, as this has been shown to make a big difference in health outcomes.
“If someone feels supported then we find they can better self-manage their diabetes,” said Ms Netzer.
