John is a veteran in his late 50’s, living in rural Queensland he always felt fairly fit. “While I did have a bit of a beer belly, it wasn’t anything that seemed out of the ordinary” When John was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes he didn’t really know what to do or what to expect.
“My GP was pretty blazé about it, he gave me some tablets to take, and a website where I could access a glucose monitor and sent me on my way”
This is an all too common story for many veterans, they head to a GP for a routine check-up only to find out they have Type 2 diabetes. Lack of time and access to primary health care means often veterans aren’t aware of the multiple ways to successfully manage their diabetes, let alone that there is a good chance they could go into full remission.
Painting A Grim Picture – The “worst case” scenario
Given the short amount of time that GPs have with each client, it’s understandable why they might try and paint a worst-case picture to shock a veteran into the necessary action to manage their T2 diabetes.
Telling veterans a list of long-term issues where the possibilities are;
- Limb Amputation
- Blindness
- Stroke
- Kidney Failure
- Health Attack or Failure
- Stroke
- Dementia
Should be enough to scare them into taking action to manage their condition. However, this news combined with the feeling of inevitability that their diabetes will progress into insulin dependence, many veterans feel resigned to their fate. They’re then handed a script for medication, with very little information on the effects or mechanisms of the medications and left to their own devices. It’s unsurprising that many veterans turn to “Dr. Google” for their information.
We spoke to Kirby, the lead Diabetes Educator for Proactive Health’s new Veteran Diabetes Education Program. She let us know about some of the more common misconceptions that face veterans when they’re diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
“With all of the information that’s out there on social media platforms and Google, it’s not surprising that people are confused and quite frankly, frustrated because we no longer know what to believe. I often hear stories of people who have given up on improving their health, because it’s just too hard and too confusing”.
“It’s common for newly diagnosed veterans to think, ‘I’m stuck with it’ {diabetes} that there is ‘no cure’.” Kirby told Veteran Benefits Australia, “When I hear those stories, I feel disheartened because I know it is possible for everyone to achieve their optimal health. I am proud of the work my team and I do, to empower people with the information they need to understand how their body works with type 2 diabetes, so they can easily discard misinformation and get on with what they know works for them!”
This is where the Diabetes Education program can help!
Starting with a 12-week program, delivered via telehealth, Veterans are able to understand the following:
- Understand what diabetes is, how it affects your health, how your medications work, and strategies to increase your quality of life
- Achieve your health goals with a Credentialled Diabetes Educator
- How to access a free blood glucose meter delivered straight to your home
- Receive support to reduce the number of medications you need (with the goal of coming off of your insulin completely!)
- Support to achieve diabetes remission
- Information on trialling a continuous glucose monitor (such as the FreeStyle Libre 2)
Each diabetes educator is trained to support veterans with accessing the necessary resources to help regain their health. Be that diabetes monitoring equipment, or accessing lifestyle support, like dietitians or exercise physiologists. Each educator becomes a diabetes coach and cheerleader for every veteran in the program.
Are you a veteran living with T2 diabetes?
Currently, the Diabetes Education Program is only available to Gold Card Holders at this stage and is designed for veterans currently living with pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes, Pancreatic diabetes (Type 3c), or medication-induced diabetes.
Veterans Benefits Australia is on the lookout for programs to connect veterans living with Type 1 Diabetes or Gestational Diabetes that offer a similar holistic approach.
Fill out the form below to get more information about the program!
