Diabetes Education

Our diabetes education specialists help you gain a thorough understanding of the disease and its management, so you can stay as healthy as possible.

When you live with a complex disease such as diabetes, you need to make self-care a top priority. At El Camino Health, we make sure our diabetic patients get the education they need to understand the disease, handle self-monitoring and medication with confidence, and find an eating and activity plan that works for them.

Our diabetes nurse educators use a personal approach to training. Diabetes is different for everyone — it depends on the type of diabetes, as well as your age, lifestyle, medical history, and reaction to medications. That’s why your nurse educator works with you individually. He or she also welcomes your significant other in your sessions, which can further support you in making lifestyle changes.

As part of the program, we guide you through the treatment your doctor has prescribed — answering your questions and addressing your concerns. You’ll have access to all our training guides and video courses. With the proper training, you can help prevent the serious complications of diabetes.

Diabetes education will help you:

  • Understand the causes, progression and risks of diabetes. Our nurses make sure you understand what happens in your body as a result of having diabetes.
  • Commit to lifestyle changes. We encourage you to get involved in your care, with our help and guidance. For example, besides changing the way you eat, we encourage you to be more active and learn how important it is to take care of your skin and feet daily.
  • Monitor your blood sugar (blood glucose). We’ll tell you how often to check your blood sugar and what healthy levels are. Diabetes education will help you understand why, when and how to use this tool for better diabetes management.
  • Give yourself insulin properly. Your nurse will teach you about insulin action and help you feel confident in your ability to take your insulin as prescribed. Insulin therapy is highly individualized and may be complicated, but it’s a critical part of your treatment.
  • Learn what diet and exercise can do for you. Improved nutrition and regular activity can make you feel better, lower your blood sugar, blood fats and blood pressure. All these will help prevent complications.