Diabetes Support Group Officially Launched In Savanna-La-Mar

The Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) officially launched the Savanna-la-Mar Health Centre Diabetes Support Group in Westmoreland, on Wednesday (June 1).

The group, which held its first meeting in April, was created to offer support and impart much needed information about diabetes to persons afflicted with the disease.

Health Promotion and Education Officer for Westmoreland, Gerald Miller, said establishment of the group is “pioneering”.

“This is the first diabetes support group that fits into the chronic care model, which some of us (health promotions staff) would have been exposed to training pertaining to this framework, and so we are happy to know that we are taking an approach which had worked in other jurisdictions, and we are confident that it will also work for us,” he added.

“We are taking what I refer to as a team approach, because the chronic care model speaks to that… a team approach in managing your condition, and that’s why we have brought members of the team who will provide that kind of support for you in this challenging time. I say challenging, because being afflicted with any medical condition is a challenge, as it involves a changing of the mindset, and with diabetes, how you eat, the cost of medication and sometimes it can render us being dependent; it robs us of our independence,” Mr. Miller said.

He noted that the health department is pleased to be a part of the establishment of the group, as it is providing hope and taking a client-centred approach.

“We are putting you at the centre of the management of the condition, so it’s a pioneering experience and I am happy to be a part of it. We are bringing all the resources together, both the human capital, and the financial resources, getting everybody involved and we are happy to know that you have come out in your numbers,” Mr. Miller said.

There were several presentations about living with diabetes and the support offered by the health department in the parish.

The Support Group will meet on the third Thursday of every month, at the nursing quarters lobby of the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital, at 10:00 a.m.