Diabetes education

Education and age group

Infants and toddlers

• Acknowledging the total dependence on parents and care providers for injections, food and monitoring
• Advising on unpredictable erratic eating and activity levels
• Recognizing that hypoglycemia is more common and may be more severe. Education on prevention, recognition and management is a priority

School age children

• Learning to help with and developing skills in injections and monitoring
• Recognizing hypoglycemic symptoms and understanding self-management
• Adapting diabetes to school programs, school meals, exercise and sport
• Advising parents on the gradual development of the child’s independence and progressive hand-over of responsibility

Adolescents

• Promoting independent, responsible self-management appropriate to the level of maturity and understanding
• Discussing emotional and peer group conflicts
• Teaching strategies for dealing with dietary indiscretions, illness, hypoglycemia, sports, etc
• Negotiating targets, goals and priorities and ensuring that the tasks taken on by the adolescent are understood and accepted
• Developing strategies to manage transition to adult services