Diabetes educators: Who are they and what do they do?imgres

Likely every type 1 child and their families have seen an educator: at the hospital, for insulin management, to start on a pump, or for school paperwork.  But what do you really know about your diabetes educator and what are their backgrounds?

The Definition

According to the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE):

A certified diabetes educator (CDE) is a healthcare professional for diabetes or people at risk for diabetes with behavioral goals to achieve better clinical outcomes.  So what exactly does that mean? The idea is an educator helps a child with diabetes (or family members, in the case of children) with eating habits, exercise habits, insulin dosing, sick day management, and basically the day-to-day activities for a child that affects blood sugars and A1c levels.  A diabetes educator’s background is varied.  He or she may have a background as a registered nurse, a nutritionist, a pharmacist, a physician, or a mental health professional, to name a few.  He or she must take a certification exam to become an educator.  The basis for their education revolves around what the AADE calls the 7 self-care behaviors:  healthy eating, being active, monitoring and taking medications, problem-solving, healthy coping, and reducing risks.

Who Pays to See a CDE

Typically a person with diabetes can see an educator more often than the endocrinologist; however, this is based on insurance coverage.  Insurance coverage for an educator will differ between plans (so check your insurance plan out).  Usually you need a referral from the endocrinologist.  After the referral is made you can typically see the educator more often than the endocrinologist depending on the reason for seeing the educator.

How do you use your educator in your community?  Is he or she helpful or is the endocrinologist you see more helpful?  Have you seen your educator lately?

Here is the link to the American Association of Diabetes Educators with a full-page on what an educator is:

http://www.diabeteseducator.org/export/sites/aade/_resources/pdf/Definition_Diabetes_Educator.pdf

What Exactly Does a Certified Diabetes Educator Do?

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Science you say…

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Dayna’s daughter brings the horse to our name, but science.  How does that fit together?  If you haven’t guessed my son is a scientist at heart.  Since he was very small he has been interested in all things with the hard sciences (physics, chemistry, mathematics).  As a preschooler Barney was boring, but give him The Science Channel and a show on dark matter and he was captivated!  While watching a fabulous show on outer space, he declared at three that he was going to fly planes, then fly to Mars.  For many years he dressed up as an astronaut and discussed ion propulsion (because that is the only way to get to Mars! Of course it is!).  His way in life was paved.  At 7 his dreams came crashing down.  His diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes and being informed that he will never be a commercial pilot, let alone a military pilot, devastated him.

But this intense interest in space and physics helped him understand what diabetes did to him and how his body reacts. He has explained Type 1 diabetes to his classrooms and friends and their parents better than I could ever (and I work in the medical field).  He gets his body.  Even with this he still had shattered dreams.  Where is Mars?  Well, he has decided diabetes won’t stop him from Mars.  He may just have to wait a while and have a cure.  Until then Quincy will solve the problem of Dark Matter and find the common ground between particle physics and quantum physics (because there must be a relationship humans don’t understand yet).

Type 1 has never slowed him down, but it has shaped his dreams.  One day science will rule and a cure will be found…until then we will balance all science, all the time with diabetes.

Between our two kids and the idea that date night does exist for T1 families, we can have a babysitter with help and training and a great sitter!  We developed Science Horse Productions.  If this book had existed when I went back to work, I would have bought it (trust me, I looked hard for one)!  But it did not.  And now it does.

Stacey