November was Diabetes Awareness Month and each year Nov 14^th is recognized worldwide as “World Diabetes Day”.   This event occurs each year to mark the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, the co-discoverer of Insulin. This year is the 90^th anniversary of the life changing “made in Canada” discovery of Insulin, which has changed the lives of many Canadians and people worldwide who are living with diabetes.

Today in Canada over 9 million people live with diabetes or prediabetes.

At Saint Elizabeth we continually strive to provide the highest standard of care for all our client’s, many of whom live with the health challenges associated with diabetes.

Cooking for Seniors Project

At Saint Elizabeth, we’re continually working to meet our clients’ needs in new and innovative ways.  In order to enhance our nutritional education, some of our staff took part in an exciting pilot project.  In October, twelve Saint Elizabeth community health care workers, (in collaboration with the Canadian Diabetes Association) became the first group to be involved in a pilot project revolving around cooking and nutrition for seniors. 

This special class was held over a 4 week period.  Class time revolved around nutrition, portion sizing, information sharing and recipes. The Saint Elizabeth staff learned that in order to pick the healthiest food choices the trick is to stay in the outer perimeter of the grocery store to find fresh and natural foods.

The Cooking for Seniors’ pilot project not only taught our community health workers the best way to provide nutritious meals for their elderly clients, it also taught them to provide healthy and tasty meals for themselves and their families.  Everyone involved felt this pilot project was a great success and we look forward to hosting another session in the future.

Some Important Facts about Diabetes…

• Type 1 diabetes, occurs when the pancreas does not produce insulin.  Insulin is a hormone that controls the amount of glucose in the blood. The cause of Type 1 diabetes is not known and is not preventable. People with Type 1 diabetes are usually diagnosed before the age of 30. Approximately 10 per cent of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.

• Type 2 diabetes, is the most common type of diabetes and occurs when the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body does not efficiently use the insulin that is produced.

• The third type of diabetes, gestational diabetes, is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. It affects approximately 2 to 4 per cent of all pregnancies (in the non-Aboriginal population) and involves an increased risk of developing diabetes for both mother and child.

Signs and Symptoms:

-thirst

-frequent urination

-weight loss/gain

-extreme fatigue

-blurred vision

Prevention:

-eat healthy, balanced, regular meals

-maintain a healthy weight

-make physical activity a regular part of your lifestyle

-discover ways to reduce stress

-If you are aged 40 or older, get tested at least every three years for diabetes.

Saint Elizabeth is a not-for-profit health care organization providing quality service since 1908.  For more information on diabetes treatments or to request our specialized services for seniors please drop by our Victoria office located in the Cook Street Village at #2-380 Cook Street or call 250-385-0444.  Visit our website at: http://www.saintelizabeth.com