Diabetes 4 Disability Services
Too often people with a disability don’t get the same standard of diabetes care as people who do not have this disability. Add to this their low literacy and difficulty putting information into practice and you have a recipe for much poorer diabetes and general health. This leads to both a shorter and poorer quality of life.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funds capacity building strategies and resources to enable people with a disability to get the support required to care for their diabetes, like they would if they did not have their disability.
The D4D strategy
EdHealth has a suite of customisable services we combine to create a person’s Diabetes 4 Disability (D4D) solution. The aim is to build the capacity of the NDIS participant, and their circle of support, to improve their diabetes care and support. We identify the disability barriers and create solutions to increase their capacity to care for their diabetes, for better health. In other words, we focus on the disability side of a person’s diabetes care to enable the NDIS participant to put their health professional recommendations into action.
EdHealth Australia’s Registered Nurse Credentialled Diabetes Educators choose and customise D4D services/resources, from a suite of nine, to maximise their circle of support’s capacity to actively involve the person in their diabetes care. These services are layered around the individual, for a comprehensive approach to their support. The system we design is known as the D4D solution.
Services are individualised to suit a person with an:
- acquired brain injury
- autism spectrum disorder
- cognitive disability
- intellectual disability
- psycho-social disability.
A focus on the disability side of diabetes care opens up opportunities to make adjustments to increase a person’s capacity to better look after their diabetes. When support is in place to address the barriers people with a disability and their circle of support experience, improved diabetes care becomes a reality. The work we do, is not done by the services provided in hospital and primary care-based diabetes education services. As a NDIS Registered Provider, we complement, not duplicate those services.
EdHealth’s RN Credentialled Diabetes Educators work with the person and their team to make sure the supports are introduced and understood by all of the key stakeholders. Our aim is to improve the quality of life and health outcomes of people with a disability, by better supporting their Circle of Support and creating resources fit for purpose.
Click! to find out why we recommend a support worker model of diabetes support for most NDIS participants.
Click! to find out why support workers can legally give insulin.
Diabetes 4 Disability (D4D) Services
1. D4D Online Training
The D4D online training provides support workers with greater knowledge to understand diabetes, within a disability support framework. Modules and lessons are chosen and combined to match the type of diabetes, medications prescribed and diabetes equipment being used by the person with a disability. NDIS compliant, this course is more comprehensive than other diabetes courses available in Australia. The training delivers a strong foundation for the other services we can include in a person’s diabetes support solution.
Click! for more information about the D4D, lessons, modules and Skills training. Online Skills Session and Online Skills Check.
Click! to find out about the problem solving, trouble shooting and support EdHealth provides.
Click! to go to D4D Course Q&A.
2. Assessment
An in person or online assessment, conducted by an EdHealth RN Credentialled Diabetes Educator, we are able to identify how the D4D solution needs to be crafted to deliver high quality and safe diabetes management support for people with a disability.
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3. Report
EdHealth’s D4D reports have continued to be refined to keep us focused on giving the NDIA what they require to justify funding the service. We want to set the NDIA for success in being able to get theinformation they required to fund services required, due to the person’s disability. This keeps us focused on solutions to address disability impact for the person and their circle of support. These diabetes solutions provide a very firm foundation on which to plan for the person’s next steps. This could be moving from home into accommodation, being able to discharge from hospital or move to a new service. .
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4. Diabetes Management Plan
NDIS participants require a written Diabetes Management Plan (DMP) when they have support workers helping them with their diabetes care. EdHealth creates DMPs to address the specific needs of the NDIS participant, their disability and specific diabetes care needs.
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5. Diabetes Management Plan (DMP) Quiz and Answer Guide
A ten to thirteen question quiz can be prepared for support workers to complete after they have read through the DMP. The aim of this strategy is for them to understand and be able to show they have a solid understanding of the top ten areas of their client’s diabetes care. This quality and safety strategy supports a timely understanding of the DMP by a person’s support workers.
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6. Diabetes Management Plan presentation
Providing the support workers with a presentation on the use of the Diabetes Management Plan (DMP) is recommended when an EdHealth DMP is prepared for a NDIS participant. This service will improve how the DMP is used by their support workers and complements the training provided in the D4D online training.
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7. Diabetes Management Plan Audio Recording
Audio recording of the Diabetes Management Plan increases accessibility of information for some clients and support workers. For example, people with:
- vision impairment
- where repetitive teaching/learning scripts are required
- support workers working with a client with English as a second language who are more confident in their first language.
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8. Low literacy Resources
Low literacy, or picture resources, are designed by EdHealth CDEs for people with low literacy and/or low health literacy to support them with their diabetes care. These resources are designed to address a particular need and are highly individualised. Created using Widgit Online, the resources are very clear and effective at supporting a person to be more involved in their diabetes care. Some are designed to be interactive, where a person can add stickers to ‘count’ how often they do the task.
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9. Low Literacy Education
EdHealth can provide low literacy education sessions on diabetes self care. These sessions are not available in mainstream diabetes education services, and are designed to address the needs of people with a significant cognitive disability.
Options include:
- Play therapy to de-sensitise/prepare a person who has refused to have an injectable diabetes treatment due to their fear of needles.
- Review and delivery of low literacy education if unable to tolerate mainstream health services.
- Education to use diabetes support equipment in their own home
- Introduction of a specific low literacy support service to demonstrate to the support workers.
Click! to find out more.
Contact Us
Talk to the EdHealth team about a customised D4D Solution for your client!
Click! to leave your details. We will get back to you.
Click! and complete the form to tell us what you would like to know more about linked with the D4D services. Email it to us and one of the EdHealth Team will be back in contact with you!
Email: office@edhealth.com.au Phone: 0412 102 048.