The Diabetes Community Action Coalition's
mission is to improve the health, function, and quality of life of Fulton and DeKalb county residents living with, at risk for, or affected by diabetes.
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Number of Lower Limb Amputations on the Rise
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a report recently indicating that the number of lower limb amputations related to Diabetes has been gradually increasing each year since 2009.
Who is most at risk? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
men ages 45 to 64 are more than twice as likely to be hospitalized for a lower limb (toe, foot, or leg) amputation than women. Furthermore, African American and Hispanic/Latino men are at higher risk.
Amputations are largely preventable. Those living with Diabetes should adhere to the following recommendations:
- Perform daily foot self-care,
- Be physically active for at least 30 minutes each day,
- Work with your doctor to maintain target ranges for blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol, and
- Stop using tobacco products.
To download a handout on Diabetes Foot Self-Care, click
here.
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Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Alert Day: June 20th
Georgia recognizes June 20th as
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Alert Day. Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) is a complication due to poorly controlled diabetes, and it causes damage to the nerve endings in the feet and hands. Symptoms include numbness or tingling sensation in the feet and hands, and sometimes excruciating pain. DPN can lead to slow-healing wounds and deformities of the feet which may lead to infections and amputation.
Do you have a Social Media presence? Please help spread the word about DPN prevention on June 20th. For ideas, see the Georgia Diabetes Coalition's 2017
DPN Social Media Toolkit.
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Partner Spotlight: Mutima Jackson-Anderson
Mutima Jackson-Anderson
is the founder and president of Ruby A. Neeson Diabetes Awareness Foundation, Inc., an organization she established and named in memory of her mother who died in 2006 at the age of 54 from diabetes complications.
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Mutima was one of 20 Fellows chosen from 13 countries around the world to participate in the fourth annual Diabetes Hands Foundation's
MasterLab Leadership Institute. The aim of the intensive weekend training was to empower diabetes advocates with the skills and knowledge to design and implement programs to create positive changes for the greater diabetes community. Learn more about Mutima's experience at MasterLab
here.
The goal of Mutima's program,
Project Saving Soles, is to prevent diabetes-related foot complications. In an effort to support this project,
DCAC will provide the project with copies of the
Foot Care poster from the American Diabetes Association.
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What is Diabetes Distress?
those living with Diabetes to receive counseling
, when indicated. Diabetes Distress is not the same as depression or anxiety, but it is a condition that affects most people living with diabetes at some time during their life.
Diabetes Distress includes feelings of worry, guilt, sadness, and anger that often come with managing the 24 hours/day, 7 days/week demands of Diabetes.
To learn more about Diabetes Distress and how to combat it, download the two-page handout from the American Association of Diabetes Educators
here.
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The Mind-Body Connection
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Mind-body stress reduction practices have been shown to improve the health and well-being of those living with Diabetes or other chronic conditions. In a study released this month,
it was shown that mind-body practices like yoga, Tai Chi, and meditation don't just provide relaxation, but they also reduce the fight-or-flight stress response in the body by turning off a gene in the DNA. Learn
more.
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Want t
o experience for yourself the benefits of meditation? The
Mindfulness Awareness Research Center at the
Univ.
of California in Los
Angeles provides free guided meditations online in both English and Spanish.
Listen to a variety of different guided meditations
here.
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DCAC's Quarterly Meeting in July
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The
DCAC
meeting in July will be held in conjunction with the
Georgia Diabetes Coalition
Quarterly Meeting
on:
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Wednesday, July 26th
from
10 am to 12 pm
Mercy Care, 424 Decatur Street SE, Atlanta 30
312
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DCAC's Quarterly Meeting in October will be held on:
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Tuesday, October 17th
from
11 am to 1 pm
Mechanicsville Branch Library
400 Formwalt Street SW, Atlanta 30312
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DCAC Helps Uninsured Adults Find Health Care
DCAC counsels uninsured Metro Atlanta residents on where to find health care and services. Please share the following resources with those who need more information:
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Community Health Worker Training
Morehouse School of Medicine will be offering its 3-day iADAPT 2.0 Community Health
Worker (CHW) Train-the-Trainer Class this
summer.
Participants in the class will gain knowledge and skills to support adults at risk for, or living with Type 2 Diabetes, and/or heart disease. See
flyer.
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The class is held at the
Andrew and Walter Young Family YMCA on Campbellton Road in Atlanta.
Call
Marguerite Dossie
at
1-844-423-2782 to register for one of the upcoming classes in June, July, or August. For directions to the YMCA, click
here.
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Partner Programs
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Diabetes Education for Clinical Support Staff (DECSS):
June 30th
This free one-day class
provides
Community Health Workers, Public Health employees,
Medical Assistants, Dietitians, and Nurses with
a review of healthy eating, physical activity, monitoring blood glucose, and taking medications to manage Diabetes. Learn
more.
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Ongoing Programs:
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Everyone with Diabetes Counts Class for Medicare Beneficiaries:
Free 6-week workshop led by trained Peer Educators. Learn
more.
To find or host a class, call Jessica Knopf at
1-888-313-9355. See
EDC Flyer
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Healthy Changes for Living with Chronic Conditions:
Six-week workshop for adults living with a chronic illness and their caregivers. Coordinated by the
Atlanta Regional Commission, this workshop is led by two trained facilitators.
To learn more, call Lynda Conner at (
404) 463-3522. See flyer
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Group Diabetes Self-Management Education Classes:
Southside Medical Center, 1046 Ridge Ave. SW, Atlanta 30315.
Free and open to public on the 2nd & 4th Thursday of month.
Contact Myrtle Wilder, FNP, CDE, at (404) 688-1350.
C.U.B.S. Support Group hosted by Ruby A. Neeson Diabetes
Awareness Foundation (RANDAF): Metropolitan Branch Library, 1332 Metropolitan Pkwy. SW, Atlanta. Contact Mutima Anderson:
1-877-279-9183 or visit the RANDAF website.
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To receive
DCAC
email Announcements or the
Monthly Newsletter, sign up here
or text "DCACNEWSLETTER" to 22828.
To view previous DCAC Newsletters dating back to February 2014, see the Newsletter Archive. |
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upport the work of DCAC
!
Tax-deductible donations to support the work of DCAC may be
made
in the form of a check to the Georgia Diabetes Coalition.
For more information, call (740) 807-1054.
Donations by credit card directly to DCAC are not tax-deductible,
but are gratefully accepted
through the link to
DCAC's
PayPal
account below
.
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For community resources and support to prevent
diabetes
and
its complications; for information on affordable health care, resources for the uninsured, or the transition to Medicare,
call us at (740) 807-1054 or visit www.DCACfulton.org.
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The Diabetes Community Action Coalition, Inc.
is
the local chapter of the Georgia Diabetes Coalition.
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