Diabetes Management and Prevention
Financial Assistance: The Diabetes Foundation provides free medication, supplies, A1c testing, and transportation to help people manage their diabetes. Learn more about this program
To find a location in your area for any of the programs described below, click here and then place your zip code in the area indicated at the top of the page.
Diabetes is a disease that results in high glucose (sugar) levels in a person’s blood which prevents the body from using insulin properly. An important public health concern in New Jersey and throughout the nation, diabetes is the eigth leading cause of death in New Jersey. About 645,000, or 9%, of adults in New Jersey have diagnosed diabetes and 2,395,000, or 34%, of adults in New Jersey have prediabetes. Although diabetes can lead to many serious health issues, treatment and healthy lifestyle habits can prevent or delay these complications.
NJ 211, in partnership with the NJ Department of Health, is committed to providing the most up-to-date information on diabetes prevention and education to its callers. As part of this initiative, when a caller expresses an interest in learning more on this topic our call specialists will provide them with information about diabetes prevention and management classes in their area.
Type 2 is Most Common Form of Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common form of diabetes, accounting for 95% of the cases. People can be alerted to a condition known as prediabetes which precedes type 2 diabetes by taking a screening test known as A1C. If blood glucose levels fall within the prediabetic range, a person can often prevent or delay a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes by modifying their lifestyle. One out of every 3 Americans has prediabetes and 80% of those individuals do not know it.
Prevention
The National Diabetes Prevention Program is a year-long program aimed at preventing type 2 diabetes by encouraging participants to make real lifestyle changes such as eating healthier, including physical activity into their daily lives, and improving problem-solving and coping skills. Participants will meet with a trained lifestyle coach and a small group of people who are also participating in the program. Sessions are weekly for 6 months and then monthly for 6 months.
Management
The Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Program is a collaborative process through which people with diabetes gain the knowledge and skills needed to modify their behavior and successfully self-manage the disease and its related conditions. The needs, goals, and life experiences of participants with diabetes are incorporated throughout this training.
The Diabetes Self-Management Program includes workshops that are facilitated by a highly detailed manual by two trained leaders, one or both of whom are peer leaders with diabetes themselves. Classes are highly interactive, encouraging mutual support and success in an effort to build participants’ confidence in their ability to manage their health and maintain active and fulfilling lives.
The six-week program takes place in community settings and are each 2½ hours long. This program does not conflict with existing programs or treatment. Treatment is not altered. For medical questions, participants are referred to their physicians or diabetes educators. If the content of the workshop conflicts with instructions they receive elsewhere, participants are advised to follow their physicians' orders and discuss discrepancies with their physician.