As we approach the end of Diabetes Week 2021, the Active Care Group want to take the time to look back on an extraordinary year and celebrate our support workers and service users who deal with diabetes on a daily basis.
To raise awareness and gain a further insight to how our staff provide the right care for our residents, we have spoken to Support Worker Donna McCorry who has worked at our Foxley residential home for the last 9 years. We asked Donna about the challenges and rewards that come with caring for diabetes through her own words.
“Encouraging the person with diabetes to eat healthy and maintain a balanced diet can be quite challenging, however myself and my team always help to choose the correct healthy food and encourage healthier choices, as well as encouraging regular exercise and activity such as nature walks or attending leisure centres. On a daily basis, I will make sure my patients take their medication at the right times, and also initiate regular eye checks to look out for signs of diabetic retinopathy due to the prolonged exposure to high blood glucose. I will also check the persons feet every day for cuts, blisters, red spots and swelling. This is because diabetes can reduce the blood supply to your feet and cause nerve damage and poor circulation. For me personally, the most rewarding part of my job is when I manage their bloods to the correct level, knowing that I have lessened the chances of serious health problems later down the line.”
What does Diabetes Week mean to you?
“To me, Diabetes Week is an important initiative that raises awareness for the support I deliver every single day. Raising money to help fund research into this condition will help to give everyone a wider knowledge of diabetes and to show other people living with diabetes that they are not alone.”
For more information and resources regarding Diabetes Week, please visit https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-week and learn how to get involved and share your stories.
