During the course of diabetes care, most patients have a special blood test done handout is to encourage you to take a more active role in your diabetes …
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At the Diabetes Education and Resource Center of New York Methodist Hospital, we aim to educate and empower patients to achieve the major objective of treatment for diabetes: the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels Tight control of blood sugar can minimize the complications
associated with diabetes Our program can help patients to maintain control while they continue to enjoy a high quality of life All treatment plans are made based on the individual needs of the patient
More than 20 million Americans suffer from diabetes mellitus, the technical name for the disease, which occurs when the body fails to produce enough insulin or when the insulin that is made doesnt work effectively As a result, the sugar that is eaten cannot be converted into energy and blood sugar levels remain abnormally high This condition hyperglycemia can cause certain body changes such as fatigue, frequent urination, hunger, thirst or blurred vision –the warning signs of diabetes There are two major types of diabetes Type 1, or insulindependent diabetes mellitus formerly called juvenile diabetes, but occurring in adults as well, occurs when the
body makes no insulin It usually appears suddenly Individuals with Type 1 diabetes are said to be insulindependent; they must receive
daily injections of insulin Type 2, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, generally occurs in those over the age of 40, but it is increasingly seen in younger people as well You may also be at a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes if you are overweight, have high blood pressure or have a family history of diabetes Not all of those with Type 2 diabetes need to take insulin or medication A third, less-common form of the disease is gestational diabetes, which occurs in pregnancy While much research is being conducted, there is currently no cure for diabetes However, with a balance of good medical management, a proper diet and exercise regimen and prudent self-care, diabetes can be effectively controlled and a person with diabetes can enjoy a high quality of life
Being in control–keeping the amount of glucose in your blood as near to normal as possible– will keep you feeling good and can help to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes-related side effects If you are newly diagnosed or even if you have had the disease for some time our educator can help
you to master blood glucose monitoring and tell you about the new home glucose monitors now available Experts believe that anyone with diabetes can benefit from
regular blood glucose testing Patients who have difficulty averaging their blood glucose are continuously monitored by our staff In many cases of Type 2 diabetes, oral hypoglycemic drugs are prescribed to control blood glucose We provide education and information regarding oral hypoglycemic treatment, including instructions about recognizing side effects, contraindications and drug interactions
The New York Methodist Approach
Glucose Monitoring Hypoglycemic Agents
About Diabetes
Keeping blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible requires just the right balance of medication, diet and exercise If you are newly diagnosed with diabetes, you may be overwhelmed with the amount of new information you suddenly need to absorb Understanding what causes the disease and how it is treated is just the beginning Diabetes involves a complex level of management and lifestyle changes that require active participation by the patient as well as the doctor At the Center, we provide the education and information to help you
understand what you need to do, and why
you need to do it Standards of care for children with diabetes are different from those for adults Education for both children and parents is available at the Center The goal is to help with the management of childrens diabetes and to teach new strategies for coping with the special stresses associated with raising a child with diabetes Our certified diabetes educator is also familiar with the most current news about diabetes treatment, so even–or especially–if youve had diabetes for a while, you can learn about the latest developments at the Center
Diabetes Education
All individu 
als with Type 1 diabetes and some with Type 2 need to have regular injections of insulin Even relatively young children are taught to administer these injections themselves The ability to administer their own injections provides patients with a high level of independence and empowerment At the Center, newly diagnosed patients, or those who have recently been advised to take insulin injections, learn the technique of giving an injection and, equally important, how to calculate the proper dose of insulin New developments are made available to patients For example,
techniques in insulin administration such as the insulin pen and insulin infusion pump are initiated and monitored
Insulin Administration Techniques
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The
DIABETES Education and Resource Center at New York Methodist Hospital
Location Travel Directions
Patients may be referred to the Center by their physicians If you are referred by your doctor, the Center will contact him or her and send regular reports, so that your care can be fully coordinated To make an appointment call 718 246-8603
For some patients with Type 2 diabetes, a change in eating and exercise habits may be all that is necessary to achieve control For all those with the disease, good nutrition based on the diabetes food pyramid and increased physical fitness are important components of the treatment plan
At the Center, we provide the general information and principles that help patients to maintain control and entire families to eat healthier Our nutritionist can also work closely with individual patients to help create healthy eating and fitness plans that will best meet that patients specific preferences and lifestyle
New York Methodist Hospital is
located in Park Slope, Brooklyn The Diabetes Education and Resource Center is across the street from the Hospital on the fifth floor of the Hospitals Medical Office Pavilion at 263 Seventh Avenue BY CAR From Bay Ridge or Manhattan: take the Prospect Expressway to the Tenth/ Eleventh Avenue exit Continue straight ahead to the second stop sign and make a left Eleventh Avenue Proceed to the traffic light and make a left onto Eighteenth Street Continue down Eighteenth Street to Eighth Avenue Make a right onto Eighth Avenue and proceed down to Sixth Street; then make a left turn onto the Hospital block From Ocean Parkway: take the Prospect Expressway to the exit at Eighth Avenue Make a right turn at the stop sign onto Eighth Avenue and proceed down to Sixth Street where you make a left turn Parking is usually available in the Medical Office Pavilion garage, whose entrance is on Sixth Street, just short of Seventh Avenue
BY SUBWAY The closest and most direct subway route to New York Methodist Hospital is via the F train Sixth Avenue Independent line Take the F train to Seventh Avenue; exit from the Seventh Avenue side You will be at Ninth Street and Seventh Avenue Walk along Seventh
Avenue to number 263 between Sixth and Fifth Streets, just past the Barnes Noble bookstore BY BUS Brooklyn only The B67 Seventh Avenue bus stops in front of 263 Seventh Avenue The following buses stop nearby: 63 Fifth Avenue bus, 69 Vanderbilt Avenue bus and 75 Smith Street bus
Referral
Nutrition and Exercise
The American Diabetes Association Recognizes this education service as meeting the National Standards for Diabetes Self Management Education
Whether you are newly diagnosed or have lived with diabetes for most of your life, you are likely to find that the disease creates anxieties, challenges and a variety of emotions that can best be understood by others who have the disease Groups sessions offered at the Center can provide an outlet for expressing concerns and feelings and an opportunity to learn from the experiences of
the group members Children with diabetes and their families have special needs related to the challenges presented by a child who is changing physically and emotionally while living with a chronic illness Both children and their families may find the group sessions organized at the Center especially beneficial
Group
Sessions
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