World Diabetes Day was November 14, 2010. The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its member associations. It engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness. The theme for 2010 is “Let’s Take Control of Diabetes. Now.” This is the second year of a five-year campaign on diabetes education and prevention.
Diabetes Voice states that there is evidence “that poor adjustment to diabetes can be related to rigid beliefs, poor social support, and poor coping strategies. Social workers intervene in a number of ways to address these issues.” Additionally, social workers are in a unique position to help patients maintain a healthy lifestyle and negotiate the medical world. They can assist patients with diabetes in their adjustment to lifestyle changes by providing them with supportive medical services, psychosocial counseling, and support groups. In recent years, researchers have called for increased cooperation between medicine and social work in the management of diabetes.
Learn more about the warning signs and risk factors of diabetes. Thank you to all of the social workers who work to educate, prevent, and help people to successfully control diabetes.
