Module 1 Overview

The Diabetes Care Support module provides support workers with an understanding of how diabetes occurs, the types, impact on people with a disability, treatment options and ongoing need to prevent associated health issues. Contemporary management strategies focus on person centred care and how to support an individual to be as actively involved in their self care as their functional capacity allows.

Module aim

To  provide support workers with the knowledge and skills required to support people with diabetes to manage their condition and respond to health circumstances linked with diabetes using a person centred and active support model of care.

At the completion of the Module, support workers will be able to:

1. Define what diabetes is.
2. Describe normal carbohydrate/glucose metabolism.
3. Describe changes to the metabolism of carbohydrate/glucose in people with diabetes.
4. Identify differences between the development and treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
5. State 10 risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes in people with a disability.
6. State why people with a disability are at increased risk of developing diabetes.
7. Describe the cause/s of increased blood glucose levels in people with diabetes.
8. Describe the role of the support worker in prevention, early diagnosis and supporting people with a disability using an active support model of care.
9. List the areas of a person’s lifestyle likely to impact on a person’s blood. glucose levels, diabetes care and longer term health outcomes.
10. Describe how the food a person eats can influence their blood glucose levels.
11. State the diet of a person with diabetes is based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
12. Identify the appropriate portion size of carbohydrate, protein and vegetables for a healthy diet.
13. State consumption of carbohydrate needs to be consistent in people with diabetes and spread evenly across the day.
14. Describe how to read food labels, identify the suitability of a product and compare products to identify the healthiest option for a person with diabetes when shopping.
15. List the benefits of moderate exercise on a person’s health.
16. State the numbers you use when reading food labels to decide if it is low fat, low sale, low sugar and high fibre.
17. State the impact of moderate exercise on blood glucose levels in people with diabetes and actions to be taken when their levels are below 4 mmol/L or over 15 mmol/L before exercise.
18. Describe the impact of stress on blood glucose levels in people with diabetes.
19. State how stress can be managed to decrease its impact on the blood glucose levels in people with diabetes.
20. State the impact of anti-psychotic medication on blood glucose levels.
21. Describe the reason/s for a diabetes tablet to be commenced by the doctor.
22. State that the sulphonylurea class of diabetes tablets and insulin can potentially cause hypoglycaemia as a side effect of these medications.
23. State the definition of hypoglycaemia.
24. State the risk factors that increase a person’s potential for hypoglycaemia.
25. List the potential symptoms a person can show when hypoglycaemic.
26. Describe how hypoglycaemia is treated if the individual is conscious and unconscious.
27. List the items to include in an individual’s Hypoglycaemia Emergency Pack.
28. Identify potential causes of hypoglycaemia and how to prevent it occurring.
29. Discuss the role of the support worker in medication management.
30. Discuss the role of the support worker in the identification, treatment and prevention of hypoglycaemia in at-risk individuals.
31. State why diabetes causes other health problems.
32. List the different conditions people with diabetes can develop.
33. Explain why people with diabetes are at higher risk of their blood vessels blocking up.
34. What factors make these other health problems develop faster?
35. The role of the support worker in foot and leg health in people with diabetes.
36. The impact on blood glucose levels when a person is sick and the role of the support worker.
37. When to check the blood or urine of a person with type 1 diabetes when they are sick.
38. Stating it is important to make sure all services a person uses can care for their diabetes.
39. State the 7 self care behaviours recommended for people with diabetes.
40. Describe the areas of diabetes care and support required in a comprehensive diabetes care plan
41. Give 1-2 examples of the support a person with an intellectual disability may require to achieve the 7 self care behaviours recommended for people with diabetes by the American Association of Diabetes Educators.
42. Identify which people with diabetes will require an emergency management plan to manage hypoglycaemia (low levels) and hyperglycaemia (high levels).
43. Give 5 examples of how to set a person with diabetes up for success and 5 examples of setting their support staff up for success by identifying and working to each individual’s strengths.
44. Understand the need to actively include the person with diabetes in their diabetes care planning, implementation and evaluation.
45. Describe why it is recommended for people with diabetes to have a diabetes health care team.
46. Identify the role of the different health team members
47. Explain how to create a diabetes health care team for an individual with a disability.
48. State the role of the support worker in the diabetes care team.

Lessons to be completed in the Diabetes Care Support module:

• Lesson 1: What is diabetes
• Lesson 2: Lifestyle management of diabetes
• Lesson 3: Medication management and hypoglycaemia
• Lesson 4: Diabetes linked health issues
• Lesson 5: Diabetes self/supported management strategies
• Lesson 6: The diabetes health team and community care

Instructions: 

It is recommended that participants complete the lessons in order. Click on the link at the bottom of this page to go to Lesson 1. Each lesson begins by outlining the aim and list of expected outcomes from completing the lesson.

To do the lesson, work your way through the content set-out using the icons displayed below. There are five icons displayed in each lesson, with instructions outlining how you complete each part of the lesson.

You Tube videos

are posted for you to watch as an overview of the topic. The length of the video is included in brackets after the video link.

PowerPoint presentations

are included in all lessons. They are prepared and narrated by Registered Nurse and Credentialled Diabetes Educator Jayne Lehmann. Click on the link to a PowerPoint presentation to get it started. The length of the video is included in brackets after the link to the presentation.

Activities

are included in each lesson to provide an opportunity for participants to apply information they are learning.  Click on the link to go to the Activity Sheet. Print off the sheet/s. Read the instructions and complete the activity as instructed.

A range of handouts

are included with each lesson. They will help to provide another form of information about the topic. They also can be downloaded and printed for use in revising the information or using when supporting your client/customer with diabetes.

A short quiz

is included at the end of the lessons in Module 1. They will help you self-assess how much you have learnt, reinforce the information and prepare you for the Module’s Final Quiz. It is expected the quizzes will be completed without any assistance.

End of Module 1 Quiz

Successful completion of the course:

Once you have completed all of the lessons in the Module click on the link to the quiz at the end of each lesson.  A score of 80% or above is required to pass the final quiz. A certificate is available to print as evidence of your successful completion of the Module once you successfully pass the Module’s Final Quiz. Please show this to your Manager as proof of completing the course.

In each Module there are some components that you are asked to do that include Jayne Lehmann. These are indicated with this icon and are where there is a request for participation in an evaluation survey of each module or information related to the on-line video session to evaluate your technique with the meter and insulin pen device.

Click here to go to Module 1 Lesson 1.