Diabetes Self-Management Workshops for Your Community

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Guest Contributor

Stratis Health, as part of Lake Superior Quality Innovation Network, is partnering with the Minnesota Area Agencies on Aging and Juniper to offer Diabetes Self-Management workshops. These workshops are a great way to help your clients, residents, and community manage their diabetes. 

The workshops use Stanford University’s evidence-based Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP) curriculum and are led by trained program facilitators.   

Workshop Details

• The workshops are free or low cost.
• Participants learn practical methods for managing their diabetes such as managing symptoms, monitoring health, preventing low blood sugar, etc.
• Open to people with diabetes or pre-diabetes.
• Workshops are once per week for six consecutive weeks; class sizes range from eight to 18.
• Curriculum supports reducing A1C numbers and improving understanding of diabetes.

Data shows success!

• 85 percent of participants answered that they now know healthy ways to handle the stress related to their diabetes, compared to 35 percent at the beginning of the workshop.
• 45.3 percent of participants lost weight.
• 53.8 percent of participants lowered their cholesterol.
• 57 percent of participants lowered their blood pressure.

How to Participate

• Send your Medicare residents, clients, patients who have diabetes or pre-diabetes to the Juniper website to locate upcoming workshop locations in Minnesota and dates and sign up. Use of the website is free. www.yourjuniper.org
• Host a workshop at your organization. Provide a room in which they can meet once a week for six weeks – conference rooms, lunch rooms, reading rooms, and waiting rooms work great. Recruit Medicare beneficiaries who have a diagnosis of diabetes or pre-diabetes (8 attendees per class minimum). Stratis Health will assist with scheduling the workshop and the facilitators as well as assisting with outreach and fliers for the event.

If interested in learning more or hosting a workshop, contact Amy Heikkinen at 952.853.8547 or aheikkinen@stratishealth.org or Jane McGrath at 952.853.8551or jmcgrath@stratishealth.org.