Diabetes management requires a balance of healthy eating, regular physical activity, and blood sugar monitoring. A good diabetes care plan is based on daily, monthly, and other regular-interval activities. The daily parts of your care plan should include:
Blood sugar checks:
- How often will you check your blood sugar?
- What is your desired blood sugar range?
- How will you correct high or low blood sugars?
- When do you call your doctor for blood sugar results?
Medications:
- What are the medications you take daily to manage your diabetes?
- How will you manage low blood sugars (e.g., will you carry something to raise your sugar fast like glucose)?
- At what times of day will you take your diabetes medications?
- What happens if you accidentally skip a medication dose?
Food:
- What is your daily carbohydrate recommendation?
- What are some foods you can eat that keep your blood sugars in the target range?
- If you can’t eat, how do you adjust your insulin or medications?
Physical activity:
- What is your daily goal for physical activity? is it 6000 steps? Jogging? cycling?
- When do you adjust medication dosages or blood sugar for physical activity?
Foot checks
- How or who will help you check your feet daily for cuts, sores, or swelling?
- When should you call your doctor about what you see?
Examples of longer-term checks and management plans include:
- HBA1C every 3-4 months
- Urinalysis every 3-4 months
- BP check every visit
- Weight check every visit
- Get a dental checkup every six months
- ECG/Echo once a year
- Exercise tolerance test once a year
- Lipid profile and liver function tests twice a year
- Examination of your feet every visit
- A dilated eye examination every 12 months
Why is a care plan important for diabetes?
Organization and planning can make all the difference. A plan helps take some guesswork out of your daily activities and keeps you aware of when you should seek care.
Insulin, medications, and diabetes supplies
Another essential part of your diabetes care plan is using the supplies and medications. Tracking how often you need to get refills can help you avoid being without necessary drugs.
TYPES OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES & KEY CONSIDERATIONS
insulin
- What type(s) of insulin do you use?
- How much insulin do you take?
- When do you take this insulin?
- How often do you need medication refills?
Oral Medications
- What medication(s) do you use?
- When do you use them?
- How often do you need refills?
- Who obtains your refills (Do you purchase yourself or order online from DMMC)?
Testing strips/glucometers and Lancets
- What brand is your glucose meter? Are the strips affordable and readily available?
- How many test strips and lancets do you get at a time?
- What type of batteries does your meter take? Do you have extra batteries to replace them?
- How, when, and where do you obtain additional testing supplies?
Who should you involve in your care plan?
-An endocrinologist, doctor, or nurse
- An eye doctor (Ophthalmologist)
- A pharmacist
- A podiatrist (legs)
- A nutritionist
- A laboratory
- A mental health professional i.e counselor
- An exercise specialist i.e personal trainer
- A diabetes educator (kama Zack)
Contact us at 0700582134 to arrange a care plan with Dr. Ombui at DMMC Ngara.